Only Fools Rush In
by iPnay
Summary: Draco and Hermione are stuck together for what is supposed to be the best year of their lives. Can they make it work... and more?DMHG mainly.
1. Thugz Mansion

Only Fools Rush In

***Disclaimer –** I *do not* own anything except my original characters, my story and plot lines and my scenarios, even though they've probably been used, mauled and distorted before. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!!! And, also, please don't sue me for any of the copyrighted things in here (like music and songs) unless they're my own or if I added or changed a line, that line is MINE!. [Scratches head sheepishly.] **Okay! Enjoy!***

**            Chapter 1 – Thugz Mansion: A Truce**

                   **_Hermione's POV_**

          "Really, I'll be fine, guys! I'm just stuck in a compartment without you. I'll survive," I pleaded and reasoned with my best friends.

          "Yeah. You'll be with the Head Boy. Rumor has it that it's Malfoy," Harry quipped, pulling a face.

          "Ferret Boy? If it is, 'Mione, come straight back here, alright? I don't want you to be stuck around _him_ for who knows how long."

          "Ron, shuttup! 'Mione's a big girl now!" Ginny replied, interpreting my thoughts. She thumped her brother on the arm and stood, joining me at the doorway. "C'mon. I'll walk you to the compartment."

          As we left the two boys in their section, we started walking.

          "I wanted to get away from them, go see Jared," she said with a relieved sigh. Jared Santiago was Ginny's boyfriend, an American who transferred the year before. "My brother can get so protective. He's such a prat."

          "You're telling me," I replied. "Overprotective and way over-bearing. How do you stand it?"

          "I don't. I've been yelling at him a lot more lately. We've been pretty pissy at each other during the summer. I try avoiding him, really. I'm telling you, Herm, he's going to be the same with you."

          "Hmm? Why's that?" I asked her, giving her a questioning glance.

          "Because, isn't it obvious, Granger? The idiot has a crush on you. Well, seeing what I'm seeing, who wouldn't?"

          Malfoy. Just great.

          "Malfoy. Just great. And how long, prey tell, have you been stalking us?" I shot this at him, each word soaked with venom. I turned around and looked up at him. My arms crossed themselves under my chest and my glance showed attitude.

          "Oh, feisty now are we? Well, that's the way I like my ladies, Granger. Except for the fact that you look like you smacked into a pole and you're a Mudblood, I almost would've been inclined to make my move."

          I almost gave him the satisfaction of dropping my jaw. But I thought up of one of the quick remarks my cousin had taught me over the summer.

          "Oh, dear, still bent up about that? Well, Ferret Face, I don't really care. How about you just go run along to the ladies' bathroom and go sit on your finger and rotate? We'll be off now." I grabbed Ginny's arm as she chortled with laughter. Malfoy's jaw was dragging the floor at what I said and he looked dumbfounded. Suddenly, the train jerked and he fell flat on his face. I was howling with laughter as I ran.

          When we reached the door of the Head Compartment, I let Ginny in to keep me company until the Head Boy made his appearance.

          "Wow, Hermione, you've changed. A lot," she commented when we sat down and calmed ourselves.

          "Well, two full months in the United States surrounded by mostly gutter-minded Americans can do that to you. But it was worth seeing Malfoy with his jaw dragging and falling flat smack on his face."

          "Yeah. You're right. Well, I'm gonna go now. Jared might be looking for me." Ginny winked.

          "You're leaving me?" I whined, imitating her brother. "Okay. Say hi to him for me. Later, Gin."

          I settled into my seat, stretching my legs out on the whole couch. I started reminiscing about my past summer, which was by far one of my favorites. I had stayed in New York and San Francisco, living with my cousin Marissa Barton. I thought about what Ginny had said, about me changing. I guess I did change. Missa had taken me, after hearing me complain about my hair, to get Japanese hair and spa treatment which made my hair straight as pins, my skin baby-soft and my body fuller and curvier. Which I didn't mind. I even caught myself a temporary boyfriend. If my friends could hear me, they'd of thought I had gone insane. Too bad.

          "Ugh. It's hot in here," I said. Then I remembered a Nelly song, 'Hot In Herre'. I grinned and summoned out my enchanted CD player. It automatically started blaring out the song when I turned it on and set it on the seat. I stood and started rooting around my trunk for some light, cool clothes. I settled on a pair of low belt, hip hugging Abercrombie & Fitch white capri's and a baby blue three-quarter sleeve v-neck shoestring hole collar shirt from Sirens. I could always just tap my wand and change into my Hogwarts robes later. I started dancing along to the song as I changed. I had shed my jeans, socks and shoes and managed to squeeze into my capri's. I don't know why I started dressing like that, but I like that. I like the way that I could simply show off catches of what I had without looking, as Missa put it, 'easy 'n' sleazy'.

_Shit, tired of gettin shot at_

_Tired of gettin chased by the police and arrested_

_Niggaz need a spot where WE can kick it_

_A spot where WE belong, that's just for us_

_Niggaz ain't gotta get all dressed up and be Hollywood_

_Ya know what i mean? Where do niggaz go when we die?_

_Ain't no heaven for a thug nigga_

_That's why we go to thug mansion_

_That's the only place where thugs get in free and you gotta be a G_

_... at thugs mansion_

          As 'Hot In Herre' ended and Tupac Shakur's 'Thugz Mansion' started, I grinned and thought of Chris Williams, my boyfriend in New York. This was one of his favorite songs. I sighed contentedly and started mouthing along and started thinking about our fun times. I shrugged off my big t-shirt and bent down, rooting around the floor amidst strewn clothes and books for my baby blue top.

_A place to spend my quiet nights, time to unwind_

_So much pressure in this life of mine, I cry at times_

_I once contemplated suicide, and woulda tried_

_But when I held that 9, all I could see was my momma's eyes_

_No one knows my struggle, they only see the trouble_

_Not knowin it's hard to carry on when no one loves you_

_Picture me inside the misery of poverty_

_No man alive has ever witnessed struggles I survived_

_Prayin hard for better days, promise to hold on_

_Me and my dogs ain't have a choice but to roll on_

_We finally found a spot to kick it_

_Where we can drink liquor and no one bickers over trick shit_

_A spot where we can smoke in peace, and even though we G's_

_We still visualize places, that we can roll in peace_

_And in my mind's eye I see this place, the players go in fast_

_I got a spot for us all, so we can ball, at thug's mansion_

          I found it hidden beneath one of my (well, Chris' really) hiking boots and a Vogue magazine. I stopped, holding up the shirt against the window and thought for a moment. _Really, is this what I want to wear?_ I know it sounded stupid and trivial, but I had nothing better to do than waste my time. I thought for a while and then decided to root through my clothes one more time.

_Every corner, every city_

_There's a place where life's a little easy_

_Little Hennessy, laid back and cool_

_Every hour, cause it's all good_

_We wont stress from the world outside_

_Every wrong done will be alright_

_Nothin but peace, love_

_And street passion, every ghetto needs a thugz mansion_

          I started singing along with the chorus when it came on. So here I was, bending over my trunk, throwing out clothes everywhere, wearing no top, pretty much not being the old Hermione. I sort of liked that. I wanted to show everyone who I really was, not the damned façade I played 10 months of the year. I was going do everything I wanted to do and I was going to do it my way, and no one would stop me. Not even Ron or Harry.

_A place where death doesn't reside, just thugs who collide_

_Not to start beef but spark trees, no cops rollin by_

_No policemen, no homicide, no chalk on the streets_

_No reason, for nobody's momma to cry_

_See I'm a good guy, I'm tryin to stick around for my daughter_

_But if I should die, I know all of my albums support her_

_This whole year's been crazy, asked the Holy Spirit to save me_

_Only difference from me and Nossie Davis, gray hair maybe_

_Cause I feel like my eyes saw too much sufferin_

_I'm just twenty-some-odd years, I done lost my mother_

_And I cried tears of joy, I know she smiles on her boy_

_I dream of you more, my love goes to Afeni Shakur_

_Cause like Ann Jones, she raised a ghetto king in a war_

_And just for that alone she shouldn't feel no pain no more_

_Cause one day we'll all be together, sippin heavnly champagne_

_Where angels soar, with golden wings in thug's mansion_

          After I called a halt to my verbal diatribe, I re-opted for the blue shirt. As I was pulling it on, I didn't hear the door creak open. Well, even if I wasn't pulling on my shirt, I wouldn't have heard it. I was prancing around the carriage compartment half-naked and singing. Being a total spoiled prat. Yeah, that nails it.

          "Wow, Granger. Now I know where you acquired the tongue. It came with that fabulous body."

          **_Draco's POV_**

          I heard her turn around and gasp, her head not even fully through that shirt (if you could call a flimsy piece of cotton that practically doesn't cover anything a shirt). I smirked and watched as she got it on and glared at me.

          "What do you think you're doing?" she spat at me as I fell on the closest couch.

_Every corner, every city_

_There's a place where life's a little easy_

_Little Hennessy, laid back and cool_

_Every hour, cause it's all good_

_We wont stress from the world outside_

_Every wrong done will be alright_

_Nothin but peace, love_

_And street passion, every ghetto needs a thugz mansion_

          "Don't stop changing on my account. I'll just watch," I said silkily, definitely liking what I saw.

          "Oh, please." She rolled her eyes and pulled her wand out from some of the debris littering the floor. With a flick of her wrist the mess had been cleaned up and was zooming back into her trunk. "Now, what are you doing here, Malfoy? This is the Head compartment."

          "Then I should be here, darling Granger. Please, don't forget that your grades only surpassed mine by a margin."

          "If you could call a margin a landslide, Ferret," I heard her mumble. Then out loud cam "So Daddy dearest nagged you this spot, darling Ferret?"

          "Shut up, Granger," I said. I hated it when the Golden Trio always assumed my Father did everything for me. "I busted my arse for this position for the past 6 years. I will not be shaken by… By some stupid little Mudblood, got it?"

          She just sneered at me and turned her back, setting a pair of blue block sandals beside her on the seat. She hid herself behind a magazine so I took my time to study her. I moved myself to the couch directly across from her.

          She straightened her hair. Something that I never thought I would see in my lifetime. It actually suited her quite well, softening the angles in her face, and the highlights ranged from honey gold to sunny blonde. Her eyes had changed from a dark chocolate brown to a golden yellow, almost cat-like. Obviously her vacation changed her. But nothing had changed about me. I still acted like bitter blithering idiot towards her. I mentally kicked myself for that.

_Dear momma don't cry, your baby boy's doin good_

_Tell the homies I'm in heaven and they ain't got hoods_

_Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night, it had me shook_

_Drinking peppermint Schnapps, with Jackie Wilson, and Sam Cooke_

_Then some lady named Billie Holiday_

_Sang sittin there kickin it with Malcolm, 'til the day came_

_Little LaTasha sho' grown_

_Tell the lady in the liquor that she's forgiven, so come home_

_Maybe in time you'll understand only God can save us_

_When Miles Davis cuttin lose with the band_

_Just think of all the people that you knew in the past_

_that passed on, they in heaven, found peace at last_

_Picture a place that they exist, together_

_There has to be a place better than this, in heaven_

_So right before I sleep, dear God, what I'm askin_

_Remember this face, save me a place, in thug's mansion_

          "Turn off that infernal racket, will you please, Granger? I mean, I hear that enough on the WWN," I snapped.

          "Maybe if you ask nicely and act civil, I just might be inclined to do so," she replied without lowering the magazine.

          We went on like this for another thirty seconds. She sighed heavily and set the magazine in her lap.

          "Look, Malfoy, I don't like you and you don't like me. But let's just face reality. We're stuck sharing living quarters together and we're stuck together no matter what we do. I'm laying it on the table to put aside our differences and I suggest a truce. That means no name calling, hexing or unpleasantness, on both parts." She stuck out her had to me.

          I sat and thought about this. This was I was waiting for all these years. An opportunity to be civil without ruining my reputation. I wanted her, but I didn't know how to get her. And this chance was unfolding itself perfectly. When Draco-Francis Quintus Malfoy wants something, Draco-Francis Quintus Malfoy gets it.

          I guess she thought I didn't want it because she shrugged and said something along the lines of 'suit yourself'. But I did want this truce. And more, but that could wait.

_Every corner, every city_

_There's a place where life's a little easy_

_Little Hennessy, laid back and cool_

_Every hour, cause it's all good_

_We wont stress from the world outside_

_Every wrong done will be alright_

_Nothin but peace, love_

_And street passion, every ghetto needs a thugz mansion_

          I leaned forward and it must've caught her attention, because she leant in, too. I was centimeters from her face. It was now or never. I leaned in, closing my eyes, relishing the heat of her breath emanating from her mouth, like spicy cinnamon candies. I didn't know it until I felt it, but I had my lips pressed against hers. I snaked my tongue out to caress those soft lips and she shivered before pulling back. Damn her.

          "Malfoy…" I could hear her shaking in her voice. "What was that for?"

          "I was going to shake your hand, but it wasn't there. I had to formalize our truce somehow."


	2. Why Not

Only Fools Rush In

*Disclaimer – I *do not* own anything except my original characters, my story and plot lines and my scenarios, even though they've probably been used, mauled and distorted before. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!!! And, also, please don't sue me for any of the copyrighted things in here (like music and songs) unless they're my own or if I added or changed a line, that line is MINE!. [Scratches head sheepishly.] Okay! Enjoy!*

          Chapter 2 – Why Not: And So It Starts

_Hermione's POV_

          "Um, uh… I think I'll go start doing my rounds…" I heard myself mutter as I hurried out of the compartment barefoot.

          _Damnit,_ I thought guilty. _What the hell just happened in there?_

          (Draco Whatever-The-Hell-His-Middle-Name-Is Malfoy kissed you) the she-devil in my head said.

          _I know that, damnit all. Tell me something I don't know_, I thought bitterly to myself.

          (You liked it)

          _Liked what?_

          (The kiss. And don't even try to deny it Hermione Bethany-Anne Granger, because it sent shivers down your spine. It made you feel whatever Chris made you feel. Tenfold.)

          "Shut up!" I seethed quietly as I walked brusquely down the corridors. I was headed for Ron and Harry's compartment. I would not, could not, trust myself to be near him. Or else something just might go wrong. This was not exactly the best way to start my last year at Hogwarts. I rapped on the window then stuck my head in.

          "Hey, guys. Mind if I join you?"

          "Sure, 'Mione. Come on in," Harry said, getting up and opening the door all the way. I walked in and felt something cold against my feet.

          "Shit…" I had forgotten my sandals on the seat in the Head compartment. They noticed.

          "Uh, 'Mione, where are your shoes? Or is this some sort of, uh, American thing?"

          "Shut up, Ron," I snapped. "I needed to get out of the Head compartment. The rumors were true: Malfoy is Head Boy."

          I didn't bother to tell them about the kiss. It would just worry them, and Harry and Ron were already busy with their own lives.

          "Heh. Feel sorry for you 'Mione. Here," Ron shucked off his brand new hiking boot the twins bought him. "Wear these. We'll get your stuff later."

          I blushed and slid beside him on the seat, slipping my bare feet into the way too big, but warm, boots. I muttered a shy thanks.

_You think you're going nowhere_

_When you're walking down the street_

_Acting like you just don't care_

_When life could be so sweet_

_Why you wanna be like that  
Cause if there's nothing new  
You're not fooling no one  
You're not even fooling you_

          The witch with the food cart came by about half an hour into our conversation. We were talking about lots of different things: Quidditch, our summers, ways to kill Malfoy. Harry got up to get food for us when Ron looked at me, a blush rising in his cheeks.

          "'Mione, can I ask you something?"

          "Sure, Ron."

          "Uh, 'Mione, uh…"

          "Yeah?" I knew what was coming. I waited for it patiently, something so unlike my new self.

          (But if he asks you out, you have to say no.)

          Damnit, stupid she-devilette.  _I can do whatever the hell I want to._

          (But you'll always remember that kiss. That kiss Draco Malfoy gave you. You know you want more. Don't deny it. Follow your frikkin' heart, not your head or society for once.)

          I pushed the she-devilette aside. I could always deal with her later.

          "Hermione, will you go out with me? I mean, we, er, could, y'know, always go to Hogsmede together or do something in the castle…"

          I threw my arms around his neck. I was wondering when he would ask. I mean, it was sort of obvious since fourth year when I went to the Yule Ball with Viktor.

          "I'll take that as a yes then."

          "If it was a no," I said, pulling back to face him, settling lightly on his lap, "I wouldn't be wrapped around you like this."

          "Right then." He pecked me on the lips. I wished it had been a bit more than that, but Harry choose that exact moment to walk in.

          "Maybe I should leave…"

          "No, Harry, mate. S'all right." I agreed with Ron as he said that. I didn't want Harry to feel left out.

_So walk a little slower  
and open up your eyes  
Sometimes it's so hard to see  
the good things passing by_

_There may never be a sign  
No flashing neon light  
Telling you to make your move  
Or when the time is right_

          Ron put his arm around my shoulders and was wearing a dumb grin on his face. I couldn't help but grin myself.

          (Foolish, stupid girl. Well, as they say, '_Only Fools Rush In_')

          "We need some music," I said suddenly. I wanted to block out the sound of Ms. She-Devil.

          {But, then again, why not? This could be a good experience, you know.} My mini she-angel just had to poke her nose into things now. Just great. It's a battle of wits. Literally.

          I _accio_ed my CD player and in a matter of minutes it came speeding into the compartment, breaking the glass window in the process. Harry repaired it while I set the mini-stereo on an empty seat. I turned it on and it immediately went to UB40's 'Red Red Wine'.

          "What is this?" Ron asked, listening to the moderate reggae beat.

          "Reggae. Type of music. Dancing and grinding and club music, really," I replied. "They play some of this type of stuff on the WWN."

          "Knock, knock. Can we join you guys? We were getting bored." Ginny and Jared trooped into the compartment and flounced on the seats beside Harry.

          "Oh, this is great music. Wanna dance, Gin?"

          Ginny took his hand and they got up and started doing some slow grinding. I could feel Ron's had make a fist on my shoulder as Jared got closer and closer to Ginny. I looked at him to make sure he was alright and saw his face to be red, almost the shade of his hair.

          "Oh, c'mon, Ron! Ginny's sixteen. She can take care of herself. C'mon, let's show them what grinding really is."

          (Hmmm, 'Let's Get Physical" much, Hermione?)

_(So) Why not  
Take a crazy chance  
Why not  
Do a crazy dance  
If you lose the moment  
you might lose a lot  
So why not  
Why not  
(Why not take a crazy chance  
why not take a crazy chance)_

          _Oh, shut up. I'm trying to have a good time without you butting in_, I shot back to my she-devil as I grabbed Ron's hand and pulled him to me.

          "It's all in the hips, just follow what I do."

          Ron was a bit clumsy, so we sat down while Gin and Jared occupied the corner, slowly dancing.

          Harry, Ron and I started talking again as the songs changed. Half-way through Michelle Branch's 'Everywhere', Neville, Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati all came by.

          "Wow. We must be popular," Ginny said, breathing hard as she sat down beside me. "It's getting crowded, though."

          "I can fix that." I muttered a small incantation and tapped my wand on the floor. Suddenly the compartment tripled in size. I also conjured up some food and we all just sat and talked, laughed and listened to music, the occasional couple getting up to dance to a certain song.

_You always dress in yellow  
when you wanna dress in gold  
Instead of listening to your heart  
You do just what you're told  
You keep waiting where you are  
What you'll never know  
Let's just get into your car  
And Go baby Go_

          Soon, another handful of people joined us and it became a total party. Harry cast a silencing charm on the door so that no one outside could hear us.

          "Great choice of clothes, 'Mione. You going barefoot" [I had taken off Ron's boots earlier] "makes your outfit sorta… Beach-y," Lavender said while we lounged through an Avril Lavigne song. I thanked her and her, Parvati, Ginny and I got started on a clothes conversation.

          _It's been two hours since this trip started and I'm already having fun, not holed up in some book_, I thought, amazed.

          Wayne Wonder's 'No Letting Go' came on after fifteen minutes of clothes and fashion conversation.

          "Oh, I love this song!" I gushed. I looked at Ron and he shook his head. I giggled and asked out loud if anyone wanted to dance with me. No one said anything so I went up solo.

          I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I started shaking my hips and touching and caressing my arms and torso. I closed my eyes and felt the music, became part of the beat.

          At the start of the second verse, I felt hands on my swaying hips and a body grinding behind me. I didn't bother opening my eyes yet. It was probably someone in our group.

_(So) Why not  
Take a crazy chance  
Why not  
Do a crazy dance  
If you lose the moment  
you might lose a lot  
So why not  
Why not_

          I wrapped my arms around the person's neck. I swayed to the floor and came back up again. I did all the moves I felt had to be done. Then it was over. I turned around and looked at my dancing partner. My mouth opened and my open palm connect with soft, pale skin.

                    _Draco's POV_

          That… Hurt. Right when she turned around and saw my smirk of pleasure, I got slapped.

          "Hey, I should be getting thanks, Granger," I sneered, rubbing my cheek gingerly. "Or else that amazing body of yours would have been wasted on one of these mere boys."

          _Note to self_, I thought. _First thing to do after Welcoming feast: Cold Shower_.

          "Shut up and get away from me, Malfoy. You weren't invited." I could see her blushing but I didn't know if it was from me or the dancing or both. It was so tempting to just have a go at her right there.

          "You liked it, Granger," I taunted. "Admit it. You loved it and you want more." I could see her face screw up in frustration.

          (Draco, my good man, you've hit the button) my inner devil said, giving me a (metaphorical) pat on the back. I grinned.

          "So what are you all waiting for? Are you going to hex me or what? Or are you all just going to let me leave, unscathed?" I asked, surprised that I hadn't been cursed into next century.

          "Get out of here, Ferret," the he-Weasel seethed at me, standing up.

          "And if I don't, what are you going to do about it, Weasel?"

          "Stick around and see, why don't you?" He advanced on me. We were staring eye to eye after about three of his paces.

_Ohh  
I could be the one for you  
Ohh yeah  
Maybe yes, maybe no  
Ohh  
It could be the thing to do   
What I'm saying is   
You gotta let me know_

          "C'mon, Weasel. What could you do? You probably couldn't even hold your wand the right way to hex me," I jeered, remembering the little incident in second year.

          "No, I'm going to do better than that. I'm going to show you what happens when you mess with another guy's girlfriend."

          I shot a glance at Hermione before I felt a sharp pain in my temple and saw nothing but utter blackness.

          I heard yelling. Loud yelling. Louder than I wanted it to be. I felt around for my wand and found it lying beside me. I picked it up and muttered '_Silencio_', mercifully silencing the yelling.

          "What in the bloody blue hell happened," I asked then dropped my voice at the sound of it. "And why is everything so bloody loud?"

          I tried opening my eyes but when I did, I was greeted by blinding white light. My left temple started to throb. I closed my eyes again and surrendered myself to the merciful darkness.

                    _Hermione's POV_

_You'll never get to heaven   
Or even to L.A.  
If you don't believe there's a way_

_Why not   
Take a star from the sky  
Why not   
Spread your wings and fly  
It might take a little  
Or it might take a lot   
So why not  
why not_

          "Ron! For Merlin's sake, you could've killed him!" I yelled again.

          "Hermione, please, calm down," Harry pleaded with me, holding me back from launching myself at the tall red-head.

          "He had it coming to him, I'm telling you, 'Mione."

          "But you didn't have to knock his lights out totally. Could've at least kept him conscious."

          (You like the attention.)

          _Shut up, will you? I'm trying to get this whole bloody fucking mess sorted_, I shot back at Ms. Devil. _Why don't you mind your own business for once?_

          (This is my business, Granger. What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours. Mi casa e tu casa, si, señorita?)

          I decided to do more yelling. I turned to Draco's [what? When did her become _Draco?_] unconscious form and started ranting.

          "Malfoy, you stupid fucking fat-headed prick! God, I hope that Ron literally knocked some sense into you! Gods, you act like you own the goddamn fucking world! You think you're so fan-fucking-tastic, but you're not! Do you hear me? YOU ARE NOT! I have half a mind to give up my position to be away from you, not to wake up to your fucking face lazing around the Head common room, smirking your fucking smirk and drawling in your fuck-"

          I was silenced. I didn't notice him moving, I was so blinded with rage. My mouth was moving but nothing was coming out. I saw Draco [Damnit! Where is Draco coming from???] lift his head and open his eyes then black out again. I almost felt sorry for him.

          I pulled my wand out of my pocket and pointed it at myself, thinking of the reverse spell for the silencing charm. I felt a tingle in my throat.

          "Stupid prat," I muttered, testing my voice.

_(So) Why not   
Take a crazy chance  
Why not   
Do a crazy dance  
If you lose a moment  
You might lose a lot  
So why not   
Why not_

          I told everyone that I would stay with Malfoy [That's much better] for the remaining 3 hours of the trip. Once they left, I settled myself into one of the couches in the First Aid compartment and fell asleep. I had nothing else to do, so why not? 

A/N: Okay, for those of you who didn't know the song from the first chapter, it was Tupac's "Thugz Mansion (Acoustic)" featuring Nas and this one is Hilary Duff's "Why Not". Tyz nd Thankies to all who read, blah, blah, blah, and review and if you wanna become a beta-reader (or as I like to call them: my precious guinea pigs, heh), or if you want to suggest a song or if you wanna talk to me, blah, blah, blah, e-mail me: pnay_sweet_xtacy@hotmail.com. Okay, with that out of the way, I'll try to post the next chapter ASAP. Luv ya! :D


	3. Dilemma

**Only Fools Rush In**

****

***Disclaimer** – I *do not* own anything except my original characters, my story and plot lines and my scenarios, even though they've probably been used, mauled and distorted before. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!!! And, also, please don't sue me for any of the copyrighted things in here (like music and songs) unless they're my own or if I added or changed a line, that line is MINE!. [Scratches head sheepishly.] **Okay! Enjoy!***

**                        Chapter 3 – Dilemma: A Tangled Webs and Waterfalls I**

**                        _Hermione's POV_**

_I love you and I need you_

_Nelly, I love you, I do,_

_Need you_

          I quietly sang along to the tune playing in my head as I walked down the hall.

          (So fitting, darling.)

          I kept singing and walking while I mentally answered. _What is?_

          (The song. Yes, you're dating Ron, and have been dating him for over a month, but you're still hung up about Malfoy.)

_No matter what I do _

_All I think about is you _

_Even when I'm with my Boo_

_You know I'm crazy over you_

          "It's so true," I sighed as I walked up to the wall size portrait of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin in the middle of a wizarding duel, surrounded by scarlet, gold, sliver and green clad spectators. A witch on Gryffindor's side looked at Hermione.

          "Yes, dear. You know the drill. Password, please?"

          "Hmm, what did Malfoy make it again? Oh, yeah. '_Oh, what a tangled web we weave/When we first practice to deceive_.'"

          "Thank you dear." The portrait swung open and Hermione came through the brick archway hidden behind the picture.

          "So, managed not to forget the password, then?"

          "Shove it, Malfoy," I said, trying to get past him to the stairs that led to my room. "Only you would use a whole quote from a famous author as a password."

          "Well, it's so that the idiots that are in this school don't come barging through my wards, Hermione."

          My jaw dropped. He used my name. My first name.

          "Off I go then," he said simply, leaving me there with my jaw to the floor. I heard him walk up the opposite set of stairs and converse with his door portrait. Then he started reciting something.

          "_Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one/Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude/Never selfish, not quick to take offense/There is nothing love cannot face/there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and endurance_."

          _Holy bloody hell_, I thought as he swiftly stepped into his room.

          (Dear, I think that 'holy bloody hell' would be called Earth. But it seems Draco Malfoy does have a poetic side under that rough exterior.)

          {He's a very complex person, as it seems. But, alas, we all are.}

          _Shut up, both of you_.

          I walked up to my door and gave the little girl in the picture my password ('_Stardusted dreams_') and flopped on my bed, thinking.

          I was going out with Ron and in two days it would be a month. But my evil ego was right: I was still hung on Malfoy.

          "What is wrong with me?" I asked out loud to no one in particular.

_No matter what I do _

_All I think about is you _

_Even when I'm with my Boo_

_You know I'm crazy over you_

          (Besides the fact that you're talking to yourself?)

          I got up and went to my enchanted stereo system. I programmed it to play and repeat Nelly and Kelly's song 'Dilemma'.

          Ron and I had really done nothing. We snogged on occasion, held hands, pretty much made everyone around us sick. But we really hadn't done anything like talk or… Other things…

          "Maybe I should call it quits with him," I sighed. "I'm just so damned confused! Why me? WHY MY DAMNED LIFE?"

          "Uh, Granger, are you okay? I mean, talking to yourself isn't really normal. Especially when it's not talking but yelling."

          I jolted up. How much had he heard? He was on the other side of the door that led from my room to our joint bathroom. I sighed again (I seemed to be doing that a lot…) and picked myself up off the bed, dragging myself to face Malfoy.

          "No, nothing. I'm fine, Malfoy," I stated as I opened the door. He was standing in front of the mirror, clad only in a short towel wrapped loosely around his waist. I turned to leave after I gave a high pitched squeak.

          "Lies, Granger. And don't act like that for Christ's sake, woman. I'm sure you have seen other bodies before."

          I swallowed and nodded. I had, mostly at beaches in California, but that was at beaches. This was here, now, naked Malfoy five feet away from me.

          "What do you mean by 'lies'?" I asked, sitting down on one of the benches on the far wall. I tried my hardest to not look at him, but my eyes suddenly had a different opinion. I spied at his firmly toned chest and abs.

          (Darling, my, my. He's got a six-pack. And look at those arms!)

          "You're not okay. You lied. Easy."

          (And those legs! Ah! The legs!)

          "No, trust me, Malfoy. I'm fine. I was just… Confused about something, that's all."

          (Now if we could only see under that bothersome towel…)

          "Care to share?"

          (Oh! It's coming loose! Darn. He stepped behind that stupid changing screen.)

          "No, not exactly with you. No offence, Malfoy, but this is sort of girl stuff. Personal, y'know?"

          (Well, I can still see his silhouette…)

          "Sure, sure, Granger. Just don't go screaming to yourself in the halls. Might scare the midgets."

          I stood and walked to my door, 'Dilemma' still playing. Just as I was about to shut it, he spoke again.

          "Oi, Granger, don't close that door! The song is pretty good."

          "What?!?"

          "I said I like that song. What are you, hard of hearing?"

          I flopped onto my bed, waiting for Malfoy to finish in the bathroom. When I finally heard his door shut, I shut off my stereo and I grabbed a set of clothes for after my bath. I looked at my selection as I laid it out on the marble bench with my wand, a robe and towel close to the swimming pool sized bath. A white baby-tee that had 'Angel' scripted across it and a pair of khaki capris. I stripped off my robes, bunched them up against the wall and pulled on the robe.

          As I walked the perimeter of the pool/bath, I took note of the taps, each with their small, neat label on the handle. After reading them all through twice, I headed to one that said '_Strawberry-Watermelon, Clear_'. I turned it on and let it run. I immediately smelled both prominent fruits. After the tub was full, I slipped off the robe and dipped in. The water colour was a deep, rosy shade of pink and clear enough that I could see the bottom of the deep end of the pool. I swam a few rounds of the pool and then reached over to the bench to get my wand. I pointed it at the ceiling and muttered a music charm. Ruben Studdard's version of 'Flying Without Wings' came playing softly. I sang along as I initiated another conversation with my egos and settled on one of the underwater stairs, the depth reaching my shoulders.

          _Hmmm… Ruben's right. I am looking for 'that something'. But where can I find it? Damnit, tell me, where?_

          (Darling…)

          {Dear… Maybe you could try looking for it in somewhere you wouldn't expect.}

          _WHERE?_

          (My, you sure are stupid for someone at the top of her class. How about trying a certain blonde haired, tall, muscular young man whom you share a damned bathroom with!)

          _Malfoy? No. Gettoutta town!_

          I was so occupied in myself that I didn't hear Malfoy knock.

          **_Draco's POV_**

_Uh-uh_

_I met this chick and she just moved right up the block from me _

_And she got the hots for me, the finest thing i'd ever seen _

_But oh, no, no, she got a man and a son doh-oh, but that's okay _

_'Cuz I wait for my cue and just listen, play my position _

_Like a shortstop, pick up e'rything mama hittin' _

_And in no time I better make this with her mine and that's for sure_

_'Cos I-I never been the type to break up a happy home _

_But uh there's something 'bout baby girl, I just can't leave alone_

_So tell me, ma, what's it gonna be _

_She said, "You don't know what you mean to me,"_

          I knocked about a million times but she never answered. So I assumed it was okay to walk in. I needed to use the sink. I mean, I really wanted to keep my white shag carpet white, not blood red that would eventually turn into rust brown. I walked in swiftly and ran to the closest sink. I didn't even bother to notice her. She wasn't exactly important right now. I laid my left hand in the white porcelain, I suddenly noticed that my skin on my arm was the same shade of white. I turned on the tap to warm and yelped. I bit my tongue as the searing pain invaded my senses. After about five minutes, I used my right hand to slide the mirror away as to get at one of the medicine cabinets.

          "Malfoy! Goddamnit, answer me!"

          "Sorry, Granger. Can't. I'm sort of in a predicament."

          I could hear sloshing water and then she was beside me.

          "Okay. Holy hell, what did you do?"

          "It usually doesn't bleed this much," I managed to say. I was trying had not to black out.

          "Okay. It's a little obvious that this sink isn't going to help. Okay, strip down and get into the tub."

          I did what I was told. She was speaking in her 'defy me and die' voice. Once I was clad in only boxers I ran to the bath. I slipped in and asked her what to do next.

          "Okay, lemme see… Right hold your arm so that your fist is pointing to the ceiling. Do it underwater! Okay. Now hold tight, Draco…"

          I was on the verge of falling from lack of blood. I leaned against the wall of the bath and closed my eyes. I felt the sting of flesh against flesh and my eyes zinged open.

          "What was that for?" I managed to sputter out weakly.

          "You close your eyes one more time, Draco, I swear, I will leave you to be dead man floating. Got me?" I nodded. She kept poking and prodding at me with her fingers and wand . I contemplated what I had done.

          "Well, to make sure you stay alive, talk to me. What did you do, Draco?" Her tone was soft, almost forgiving. Almost. But I spilled anyways.

          "I do it all the time. When I do something I feel guilty about or just when I want to… I don't know… When I feel like I want to go away… I sorta will… Y'know? It looks like… Waterfalls. Waterfalls always used to calm me down when I was a kid. Gashing myself seems fun. The blood looks like a waterfall… And waterfalls wash away all the bad things…" I started fading and I got another sharp slap.

          "Okay. Chill, Draco. I mended you up a little. It'll only stay on for so long. I got to get you to the hospital wing."

          She guided me up the water-shallowed steps then through her room and out. As we walked out, I felt a something warm cover me. I looked down and realized it was a robe.

          I stumbled most of the way down the stairs and tripped halfway through the doors. We must've been really long in our rooms because not many people were littering the hallways. But the people who did see us scattered. Probably to the Great Hall to go spread gossip.

          "Jesus, Draco, you're getting heavier by the step. You sure you're still in this phyisical plane? C'mon, Draco, say something… please…. If not for me, for your friends… The people that look up to you… You're family… C'mon, Draco… I know you can tell me something. Anything… We're almost there… I won't let you into that infirmary unless you say something…"

          She managed to kick open the door to the small Infirmary and yelled. Madame Pomfrey started screaming and everything. The two of them helped me into the closest bed.

          "Hey, Granger," I managed to say weakly.

          "No, Draco, quiet. You don't have to talk anymore. Shhh."

          "I love you."

                   **_Hermione's POV_**

          My eyes bugged. Was it just me or…? _No, it couldn't be_.

          I sat beside Draco until Mme Pomfrey was done tending to him. Then she turned on me.

          "Get into a bed. You're next."

          "What? No, Madame Pomfrey, I'm fine!"

          "I won't detain you very long, Miss Granger. I just have to give you a warming potion. It really isn't advisable to walk around the school in a soaking wet bathrobe."

          I climbed into the closest bed without any more qualms. After I had been given some Pepper-Up Potion and a new bathrobe, the nurse took me into her office and asked me what happened.

          "I was taking a bath when Dra… He just barged into the bathroom. I was yelling at him about privacy and how I was in there, but I don't think he heard a word of what I said. I saw him run straight for one of the sinks and… And when I finally got up to yell at him more, I saw blood and water draining down the sink. He was looking pale, well, paler than usual. So I made him go to the tub and let it cleanse out while I put cloth bindings tightly to help stem the flow a bit. And I managed to drag him here."

          I was well aware that I never really said his name. I didn't know which to use: Draco or Malfoy? I was confused, more so than before. And it scared me. I usually knew what to do, what was going to happen.

          "Miss Granger, I thank you. You saved his life."

          "What?" My head shot up, looking closely at Mme Pomfrey for any signs of ridicule.

          "You knew exactly what to do. It bled so much because he sliced through at lease three or four veins. If you hadn't helped him he would probably be lying on the bathroom floor, dead from loss of blood. Where did you learn all of these medical techniques?"

          "I took St. Philip's Wizarding and Muggle First Aid Training course when I was in the United States over the summer."

          "I see. I am--"

          "Hermione, are you okay?"

          Ron and Harry barged into the small office, breathless.

          "How'd you know where to find me?" I asked as I ran and smashed myself into Ron's torso. I felt his arms go around me and then we were slowly rocking on the spot.

          "I heard some fourth years run into the hall and start gossiping with their friends. Shhh, don't worry, it's okay, 'Mione…"

_No matter what I do _

_All I think about is you _

_Even when I'm with my Boo_

_You know I'm crazy over you_

            I wasn't even aware that I was crying; it just started happening. Now that I was in Ron's arms, I thought about Draco's last words to me before he passed out even more. I felt guilty. Don't ask me why, but I did. Maybe it was for loving Ron and not… _him_, or maybe it _was_ for loving _him_ and not Ron.

          "Mr. Weasley, if you could please escort your girlfriend back to her room and then down to the Great Hall, that would be greatly appreciated. I need to talk to Mr. Potter."

          "C'mon, 'Mione. Let's go. You must be freezing and hungry."

          We walked back to my dorm and he let me change into some comfortable clothes. Then we headed down to the Great Hall to eat.

          After dinner, much to Ron's disapproval, I dragged myself back to the Hospital wing. I wanted to see how _he_ was fairing and I wanted to finish my talk with Mme Pomfrey.

          "Madame Pomfrey?" I called tentatively, sticking my head through the doorway. I could hear her shuffling around near the back so I proceeded into the infirmary.

          "Ah, Miss Granger. Just the person I wanted to see. I presume that you wanted to talk to the Madame running the infirmary?" It was the headmaster.

          "Uh, yes, Professor Dumbledore. I also wanted to check up on…" I paused, trying to figure out what to call _him_. "Mr… Malfoy…"

          "Right, of course. We can do that while we wait for Poppy." Albus Dumbledore led me through to the farthest corner of the room, where Draco was lying. His platinum hair was tousled and fallen everywhere over his face. His skin was a deathly white, almost matching the cot covers on top of him. I gave a small gasp and Professor Dumbledore put his hand on my shoulder. We stood there for five minutes in total silence until someone said something. It was so quiet that I almost didn't hear it.

          "You know, both of you could do something better than staring."

          "You know, you could be a little less impertinent, Mister Malfoy."

          "Yeah, well, I try, Professor." The corner of his mouth twitched. He still hadn't opened his eyes.

          "Hey, Malfoy," I managed to sputter out quietly. "How are you?"

          "Okay…" There was an awkward silence as he opened his eyes and slowly regarded us. "Er, thanks… you know… For earlier…"

          "No problem. It was the least I could do…"

          "I think I'll leave you two to talk. I must go find Madame Pomfrey for… Things…" The headmaster walked off and left us alone, a small, bemused grin playing the corners of his mouth.

          "Look, Malfoy--"

          "Granger, I--"

          "You go first," we both said in unison, again

          I giggled and relaxed.

          "Okay… I'll go first," I offered. He tilted his head in a small nod. I sat down in the closest chair, pulled it forwards and went on. "Look, um, Draco… I just want to say that I couldn't leave you there to die, okay? But one thing… Why? Why, Draco? Please…"

          He turned his head away when I said this.

          "Draco, look at me. Tell me why… I'm not asking for anything else except for an explanation. You owe me nothing, no life debts or anything of the sort. But all I'm asking you is for the reason. I don't want to see you hurt…"

          As we both took in what I had said, my devilish side started dancing around my head with little maracas.    

          (Yahoo!!! _La cucuracha, la cucuracha…_)

          _Shut up, will you? I'm trying to have a decent conversation_.

          "Hermione… I did it because of you." I looked at the back of his blonde head with my mouth agape. "No, not like that, it wasn't anything you actually did…"

          "Draco, look at me, please?" He slowly turned his head and I found myself lost in the silvery depths of his eyes.

          "Hermione, look. I have to thank you."

          "There isn't any need for it…"

          (You've gone back to not referring to his name, darling.)

          "Yes there is. If you didn't do… What you did, then I wouldn't be here, talking to you, thanking you…"

          "But, as I asked before and I now ask again," I quieted my voice into a whisper. "Why?"

          "Because…" He turned away again but somehow my hand managed to guide his face back. "Oh, damnit, Hermione, it's the 'take one step forward, take two steps back'! I mean, every time I try to be nice to you, I manage to screw up frightfully and I end up kicking my own arse! I just can't help it! It doesn't help the fact that Potter and His Merry Band of Misfits has to always tromp into the picture somehow!"

          It was an understatement to say I was taken aback. I was totally astonished.

          "Wh-wh-what?" I managed to sputter.

          "Damnit, Granger! Open your ears, for Merlin's sakes! I'm not going to repeat it twice!"

          It took me another thirty seconds to myself to realize what he had said. He was now cursing himself.

          "See? This is what I mean… I just spilled everything to you and right away I act like the pompous, blithering little idiot I really am…"

          "Look… Draco… I'm sorry. This is… Hard… Just a lot to take in."

          "I understand… But besides saying thank you, I have to say I'm sorry. It took me forever to really realize that I am who I want to be, not my father's puppet. All those years of torment… Pain, I'm so sorry. I wouldn't blame you if you left right now," he added bitterly. He shut his eyes resolutely and it was after what seemed like an eternity, I spoke.

          "It's late. We should both be getting some rest…"

          "Come see me again, _ma chérie_?"

          (French? Malfoy? Can someone sound the _sexy alert!!!_)
    
              {Oh, shove it, you pompous little brat. This is important.}

          "Of course," I said, hesitantly. "You have my word."

                   **_Harry's POV_**

_No matter what I do _

_All I think about is you _

_Even when I'm with my Boo_

You know I'm crazy over you 

          I had heard every word, seen every movement. I felt ashamed of myself. I had just witnessed one of life's finer moments between two people and it felt horrible. I wasn't supposed to see that.

          _Gods! What have I done_?

          I ran out of the Hospital Wing feeling sick. What about Ron?

          I was running so fast, so blindly, that I didn't see myself run right into someone's back. First came the sickening smash of flesh and bone against stone, then a soft thud immediately followed by another gut-lurching crunch.

          "Holy hell… Sorry…" I suddenly saw a small pool of red bloom on the cold, hard floor. I turned the person over and saw that it was Hermione, her nose slightly mashed in and her lip and somewhere inside her mouth bleeding.

          "Hey, Harry…" she managed to say. "You're heavy, you know?"

          "Yeah, I'm a growing boy, 'Mione," I said, trying to lighten the mood even though I now felt even worse off than before. "C'mon, up you get. You've got a date with the Hospital Wing."

          She just nodded and took my outstretched hand. She collapsed as soon as she managed to stand, so I helped her limp the few yards back from our first destination.

          "You know," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose gingerly, "Ron won't be happy with what you've done to my face."

          "Yeah. After that bloke's done with me once he finds out, our faces might just match."

          She laughed as we walked into the wing, spurting more blood on the floor. She groaned and shut her eyes. I left her at the closest bed and ran to Madame Pomfrey's office. To find not her, but Professor Snape.

          "Er, Professor? Where's Madame Pomfrey?"

          "Obviously not here, Potter. Or are you just oblivious?"

          I bit my lip before I accidentally let some remark slip.

          "Professor, could you, er, help us? I accidentally ran into Hermione in the halls and… Well, I'll just say that there's a lot of blood."

          "Yes, yes, Potter," he said, rolling his eyes. "Show me to her, then."

          As I led the way to Hermione, I realized that not once since I had smashed into her had she yelled or cried or anything. I automatically knew something was wrong. She must've been thinking about her conversation with Malfoy…

          "Dear Lord, Potter! What did you do to this girl?" Snape exclaimed when we reached Hermione, sitting up on the nearest divan.

          "It was an accident, Professor! I wasn't looking where I was going and I… Er, well, I sort of fell on top of her," I finished lamely.

          "Potter, you're going to be the death of us all," I heard him mutter and Hermione laughed out another cascade of blood. "Miss Granger, if you want to heal and live, I suggest you stop laughing and spurting blood all over myself."

          That comment just made her laugh harder and I couldn't help but casually look her over. Something was bothering her. She usually wasn't like this, like… So not in touch with herself. In a situation like this, she would probably would've shut up and did what the old bat said, but… _No, I have to ask her. I have to come clean about hearing her conversation and I have to talk to her. Stupid conscience._

          After fifteen minutes, Snape left with stern instructions to lay still.

          "Hey, Hermione, are you okay?" I asked cautiously, sitting down on the nearest chair and bringing it up to the bed. She sat up against the pillows, rolling her eyes and muttering something that sounded vaguely like 'like I'd listen to that overgrown pompous greasy bat'.

          "Harry, except for the fact that I have cotton wads stuck up my nose and a curious sensation of knitting needles clacking in my left ankle, I'm fine. You really are heavy, you know that?"

          "Yea… Hermione, is something bothering you?"

          She looked sharply at me before sighing and continuing. "No, Harry, trust me, I'm totally emotionally fine. I'm on my way on the physical plane."

          "'Mione, don't get mad," she looked sharply again, "but I sort of overheard your conversation… With Malfoy."

          "How much did you hear?" she asked slowly. I could tell it just wasn't preoccupation that bothered and changed her at the moment. Something new, something developed, was coming through. It was something I wasn't used to seeing in her. I just couldn't point my finger at it.

          "Everything. When you came in with Dumbledore and when you left after his whole explanation."

          Her eyes suddenly turned from a warm gold to an orange deadly fire.

          "How dare you."

          "'Mione, it's not what you think. I didn't--"

          "It's not what I think?" she replied, cutting me off, her voice still the deadly whisper, matching her eyes. "It's not what I think? I _think_ differently. I _think_ that you were eavesdropping on a _private_ conversation. _I think I know what I think, I think I know what I am capable of and I think that you're soon going to be out of my life_."

          "Hermione! Look,--"

          "At what, Harry? At a lying boy whom I can't trust? At a boy who I've trusted to give me my space, my peace and my _privacy_? A boy that I can no longer trust?"

          "Fine!" I finally yelled, screaming at the top of my lungs, venting out all my pent up frustrations. "Fine, be a self-centered, self-consumed wench! But don't come running back to me when this stupid spider web of you life gets knocked with a broom, Hermione Granger!"

_I see a lot in your look and I never say a word _

_I know how niggas thought i can' trippin' , and hate up all the girls _

_And there's no way-hey-hey Nelly gon' fight ova no thang_

_as you could see _

_But I like your steeze, your style, your whole demeanor _

_The way you come through and holler, and swoop me in his two-seater _

_Now that's gangsta and I got special ways to thank ya,_

_don't you forget it _

_But uh it ain't that easy for you to pack up and leave him _

_But uh you and dirty got ties for different reasons _

_I respect that and right before I turned to leave _

_She said, "You don't know what you mean to me," come on_

          I stomped out the door, slamming it hard. I seethed all the way to my dorm. It was late and only a handful of people were in the common room. I walked right past them and into the 7th year dorms. I slammed the door there and pushed my way to the window by Neville's bed.

          "Blimely, Harry. What's got you steaming out the arse?" Dean asked, poking his head around the hangings of his bed. Two other pairs of sleepy eyes peered around theirs along with his.

          "Sod off for a while," I replied quietly. They didn't hear me and disappeared behind their curtains once more.

          "Oi, Harry, what's up mate?" Ron asked, coming into the room much quieter than I had. I just stared out the window, ignoring him.

          "Harry? Mate, are you okay?"

          "Yeah. Just a little…" I searched for the right word or phrase.

          "Pissed? Ticked off? Hacked?"

          "All three and more. Did you noticed how much Hermione's changed over the summer Ron?"

          I mentally smacked myself. This was Hermione's boyfriend I was talking to.

          "Sort of, mate. It's sexy."

          "Hell no, Ron. You're blind. She's changed: for the worse. She suddenly all secretive, sly, cunning in a bad way and… Well, just not like her at all. It's like she's become evil or something."

          "She seemed fine to me at dinner," Ron said slowly. I knew he was trying very hard to not let his temper flare at me. "After she got over that thing that stupid git pulled, she seemed fine."

          "Yeah, well go talk to her. She might have something to tell you about 'that stupid git,'" I replied bitterly, not bothering to care if I told Ron or not about the Malfoy-Hermione conversation.

          "Huh? Care to enlighten me, Harry?" he said, his tone rising.

          "Oh, I don't have to. _Hermione_ can do that for you. You can find her hole up in the Hospital wing with him."

                   **_Narrative_**

          Ron practically flew down the halls in search of his girlfriend. He got to the Hospital wing to find Hermione seated in a chair beside Malfoy, deep in conversation.

          "'Mione! What are you doing with _him_?" he panted when he saw the sight.

          "Talking, Ron. It's an innocent interaction between two people."

          "But talking with him isn't! You should know that! I meant, I, it's Malfoy, for Christ's sake! Merlin would turn in his grave!"

          "Oh, grow up, Weasel," Malfoy replied, sneering at him. "You don't control the girl. I'm actually pretty sure she controls you."

          "Shove it up your arse, Malfoy!" And to Hermione was "How could you?"

          "How could I what, Ron? Have a decent conversation with someone who's interested in more things than Quidditch, girls and snogging?"

          "Hermione what happened to you? Harry was right… You really have changed…"

          "Oh, great. This is just one big conspiracy against me, isn't it? Well, I'll lay it out on the table for you, Ronald Philip Weasley! You do not run my life! Harry James Potter doesn't run my life! HERMIONE BETHANY-ANNE GRANGER DOES!"

          The two of them were standing face to face, toe to toe.

          "If that's the way it'll be, Hermione, then I won't stand in your way." Ron turned away and walked out the door.

          "Oh, dear, Granger. It seems that the red-Weasel has you all riled up. You do look quite good with that pink flush in your cheeks." She sat herself down on the chair again.

          "Stuff it, Malfoy. I'm not in the mood."

          "Quite a show you put on there. He was right. You have changed, I like it." He waggled his eyebrows. Hermione couldn't help but giggle.

          "Everyone's been saying I'm changed lately. I'm sick of it. I just grew up a lot over two months."

          "_Oh, what tangled webs we weave/When we first practice to deceive_. What are you hiding from them Granger?"

          "You read Agatha Christie? Whodathunkit."

          "Pardon me?"

          "Whodathunkit! You know! It means 'who would've thought'. Who-da-thunk-it! It's an American thing, don't ask."

          "Ah! Now I see!"

          Hermione gave him an inquisitive look.

          "They say you've changed. You were in America over the past summer. Only a Neanderthal like Scarface or Weasel wouldn't put it together."

          Hermione didn't defend them. She just grinned at her conversational partner and poked him in the forehead.

          "Oi! What was that for?"

          "I dunno." She giggled. "'You're semi-evil. You're quasi-evil. You're the margarine of evil. You're the diet coke of evil. Just one calorie-- not evil enough.'"

          "Huh?"

          "It's from a muggle movie, Austin Powers."

          "Then I won't even ask."

          They were quiet for a minute or two, lost in their own thoughts.

          "Malfoy," she asked, breaking the comfortable silence. "Why me?"

          He gave her a questioning glance. It wasn't every day that someone shoots off random questions.

          "I mean, why me? Why do you like me? What about me appeals to you? And a Gryffindor '_Mudblood_' at that."

          He had the decency to blush slightly.

          "Well, you want the truth? You're probably the only one who ever gave me a real, true challenge. I was always given everything I ever wanted, I never had to work for it. Then I met you. You changed everything. You worked hard for all you wanted and you got it all. I wanted that feeling of… I dunno, having actually earned something. Your grades always beat mine, too. I realized that my life was fake. My father had told me that money was the key to everything. But not happiness, not true happiness. That's what changed my mind a long time ago."

                   **_Hermione's POV_**

          I was shocked. I sat there, thinking for awhile. I wanted to leave the complications of my life. I wanted to flee, go far away, alone with my two ego-companions and live on an island that had no problems.

          "Well, are you going to say something?"

          I stared at a small space in the wall before I cocked an eyebrow and smirked.

          "Technically all mudbloods aren't mudbloods, you know. The wizarding world originated from Adam and Lilith."

          "Who? What are you talking about?" he looked confused. Immensely. My smirk just stayed as he tried to figure it out.

          "Lilith. Adam's first wife, before Eve. Lilith was a Jinn, magical blood. It was Lilith that came first, then Adam then Eve. But God 'smote'," quotation marks appeared on either side of my head with a flick of my wand, "her because she was stronger than Adam. Rumor is that to get even with God, Lilith took on the form of the snake and made Eve and Adam eat the apple."

          He just smirked. "Know-it-all."

          I grinned and thought about C. S. Lewis writing barely about that in one of his Muggle books. I absently scratched my nose where my nose piercing should've been. I swore. He looked at me blankly and I explained that I got a small stud in my nose while I was in New York. "Really nice new trend, you know."

          "Oi! Hermione Granger? A nose ring?"

          "It wasn't a nose ring, it was a small emerald stud. Now shut up. You don't want to know what else I did in America!"

          I got up and stretched. I checked my left wrist and saw that the day had passed rather quickly.

          "I think I better be going."

          "Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, then, Hermione."

          (He called you by your first name!) My heart and my devilette did cartwheels.

          "Okay. Bye… Draco," I said slowly, actually feeling his name on my tongue.

          "Yeah. Maybe tomorrow you could entertain me with how you figured out that Adam love triangle thingy. And how you plan to deal with Pothead and Weasel. And your… Adventures," he wiggled his eyebrows, "from America."

          I just grinned and waved. I headed out the door and made my way to my common room. I had a slight skip in my walk and I reflected on the day.

          I realized that in the span of an three hours I had managed to go from depressed to happy to suspicious to angry to 'normal' to angry and to totally elated.

          (Talk about mood swings.)

_No matter what I do _

_All I think about is you _

_Even when I'm with my Boo _

_You know I'm crazy over you_

          Now I was boyfriend-less, interested in another guy and… _Ugh. I hate my life. It's so confusing._

          I stepped into the common room after dreamily muttering the password and headed towards the little. She was playing with the little boy from Malfoy's portrait. I suddenly noticed that my little girl looked suspiciously like Draco. Platinum blonde hair feathered around her face, sharp features, aristocratic nose and matching platinum eyes. And I then noticed that the little boy had curly, cinnamon hair, a small stubbed nose and honeyed eyes surrounded by a heart shaped face.

          I grinned. They're just like out mini-opposites.

          (Or your kids… Ever thought, darls?)

          {Yes, they look so adorable! They do just look like him and you!}

          "Um, Charisse?" I asked, pushing out my annoying egos. I saw the girl look up at me. "Charisse, could I ask you if I can change my password, sweetheart?"

          "Oh, okay! Hold on, though," her cherubic features broke from a smile to a solemn face, somewhat as six-year old did when they're entrusted with important things, as she turned to her companion. "Ian, you hafta leave."

          He whined. "Why?"

          "Buh-cuz iz important!"

          "But I can keep a secret!"

          "Fine." Charisse turned to look at me. "Do you mind? Please? Ian can keep a secret!"

          I was too happy to care.

          "Sure, Ian can stay. I just wanted to change my something else. But it's going to be long, so you think you can remember it?"

          "Yup! Don't worry!"

          "Okay. Here it is: _'Somewhere, there's someone who dreams of your smile and finds in your presence that life is worthwhile. So when you're lonely, remember it's true: Someone, somewhere, is think of you_'. Got that?"

          Charisse repeated back to me and swung open on her hinges to let me in my room. I walked in and headed for my dresser. I was going to sleep, and no one was going to stop me. Tomorrow was Saturday, so I could probably get away with sleeping in without being accosted. Probably.

          I pointed my wand to my stereo (that I had used earlier) an I thought of Keshia Chanté's song 'Unpredictable'. It started playing and I grabbed some sleepwear from a drawer and headed for the bathroom. I stopped short at the door and remembered the scene from a few hours ago. It seemed that a whole lifetime had passed by from the moment Malfoy rushed into the bathroom and now. I pushed in the door and saw that the house elves had changed the décor.

          The tub was still in the same place, but now everything was in silver and gold, almost like a new bathroom. The floor tiles were in while porcelain dotted here and there with sapphire and emerald tiles. The sinks, shower stalls and toilets were done in beige porcelain. The flat benches, towel rods and the like were in all gold or silver with the opposing colour lining or detailing it.

          "Snazzy," I said to no one in particular. I walked over to the sink I had claimed as mine earlier in the year and brushed my teeth. I was suddenly reminded of the newest Obie Trice song, 'Gotta Have Teeth'. I giggled and changed into my girl-boxers and camisole set.

_No matter what I do _

_All I think about is you _

_Even when I'm with my Boo _

You know I'm crazy over you 

          {Dear, I suggest that you do something about your friends soon.}

          (Oh, do shut up. It was her right to snap at them. Lately they've been stuffing us.)

          _Yeah. It'll do them some good to stew for awhile. I mean, I was just having a civil conversation, after all. And I was fulfilling my duties as Head Girl: look after any injured students. So there_.

          I walked into my room, flopped on my bed and fell asleep with no further qualms.

_Sing it for me, Kelly _

_I love you and I need you _

_Nelly, I love you, I do _

_And it's more than you'll ever know _

_Boy, it's for sure _

_You can always count on my love _

_Forever more, yeah, yeah _

_East coast, I know you're shakin' right _

_Down south, I know you're bouncin' right _

_West coast, I know you're walkin' right _

_('Cos you don't know what you mean to me) _

_Midwest, I see you swingin' right_


	4. Shook

Only Fools Rush In

***Disclaimer –** I *do not* own anything except my original characters, my story and plot lines and my scenarios, even though they've probably been used, mauled and distorted before. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!!! And, also, please don't sue me for any of the copyrighted things in here (like music and songs) unless they're my own or if I added or changed a line, that line is MINE!. [Scratches head sheepishly.] **Okay! Enjoy!* {I mean, really, c'mon, _I_ were JKR, would I be posting these on this site?}**

            Chapter 4 – Shook: Clothes, Advanced Potions and Lip Gloss 

                    **_Draco's POV_**

_This girl she got me shook_

_With her pretty brown eyes_

_Sexy little thighs_

_The way that she moves just gets to me_

_Keep shaking that thing, and making me sing_

_She got just what I like, Everyday of the week _

_My baby so sweet_

_Come over here and turn off the lights_

_We'll do it all night, Your game is so tight_

_This girl she got me shook_

          I couldn't help reflecting on the past few days. They had been… Eventful. Let me bring you up to speed.

          It was sort of obvious that Potty and Wheeze-bag were mad at Granger. They showed it, didn't make an effort to conceal their… Obvious dislike and their dull edged remarks. And Hermione, for her part, just went around like everything was okay. Which it was. I had her behind the scenes, she showed her… New self on the stage. Which was pretty hot. Even I flirted with her in public now. Which brings us here. Breakfast, Monday morning, two weeks to go until Halloween.

          "Oi, Granger! You might want to ask Dumbledore if we can change the dress code just for you," I yelled as she walked in with a gaggle of females behind her. She looked at me with an amused, condescending expression. "You'd be able to show off more without the robes!"

          "Yeah, well you might want to feast your eyes, Malfoy," she replied. People were watching us, almost like spectators at a sport. Which our public conversations had become. I shot her a puzzled glance.

          "Granger, what in bloody blue blazes are you blathering about now?"

          "This." And with a simple tap of her wand against her cheek, her uniform was changed from the baggy, lanky school robes into a pair of low-rise, tight-ass black jeans and a single shoulder strap red top that read '_If U hAvE sUmThIn 2 sAy, DeN sAy It StR8 Up, BuT iF u DuN't DeN sHuT dA fUcK uP!'_ across the front.

          All the guys, probably including some of the male teachers, had their jaws on the floor in seconds, including me.

          _Dirty tricks, Granger_, I thought, smirking. She strutted over to the Gryffindor table, sat facing me, and winked.

          "Oi, Malfoy! Like what you see? I know right now you're wishin' to be beside me!"

          "Who wouldn't?" someone called out. Catcalls came from all over. Her friends asked her what charm she had used to transfigure her clothes and other girls were throwing jealous and envious looks her way. She talked animatedly while eating her breakfast.

          "Miss Granger!"

          Her head lazily turned to face the Staff table. "Yes, Professor Snape?"

          "Miss Granger, could you please kindly come here?"

          I watched with a entertained leer as she made her way towards my head of house with a slow, yet determined, casual pace. When she stopped in front of him, he pointed his wand at her, trying to reverse her spell. It didn't work. He tried again, this time the vein in his temple throbbing. She said something to him which made the teachers around him laugh. She chewed on her inner cheek and poked herself with her wand again. The robes came back. But tighter.

          "Way to spoil the fun, Professor!" Travis Jeremiah, a sixth year Slytherin called and the whole hall laughed.

          The rest of the morning went on as usual: boring. Advanced Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and History of Magic. Then lunch, which, by the way, was taken by snogging Hermione senseless in our common room, was… Good, very good indeed.

          I loved the feeling of her moving underneath me, moaning into my mouth. Her lips were soft… the kind of soft you can get lost in. And her tongue. It sent me over reality with just one stroke from it against mine.

          I pushed my hand under her robes and under her shirt. I felt her moan as our skin made contact and she pushed up against me, wanting more. I nipped at her bottom lip as I fondled her breast and she started flicking her tongue out to lick my lips. I felt Hermione's legs go around my waist and I pulled her up off the couch so she was holding on to me. I leaned her against the armrest while she placed kisses down my jaw and started sucking at one spot on my neck.

          "Darling, that's going to leave a mark," I gasped as she kept swirling her tongue around the new hickey. She just started unbuttoning my shirt and loosening my tie until my chest was exposed, her hands running along my torso in slow sensual movements. I bore down on her again, popping buttons off her shirt, so I could savor the luscious breasts. I kissed her hard again and started my trek down her jaw and neck until I was at the valley in between them. I bit down on the front clasp of her bra and licked my way to one of her hardened nipples. I heard her gasp then moan my name. I sucked on the hardened pebble until it was swollen.

She pushed me away from her, gasping for breath.

          "Malfoy… Gotta… Go… Now… We… Advanced Potions!" she said, squeaking the last two words as I dipped to nibble on the flesh of her neck.

          "Really, Draco! Snape is probably going to take points off of my house for probably just showing up, let alone late! After what I pulled this morning… Oh!"

          "You really need to learn to hush when the time is right, Granger," I growled, winking and rolling off of her, landing in a tangled heap on the floor. We straightened up and I let her leave five minutes before me, giving her a small spank out the door. She could really be feisty when she wanted to be.

          I looked into the mirror hanging above the Chippendale table beside the archway entrance. My hair was tousled, my collar and shirt undone, my tie hanging loosely across my shoulders. I had bright pink lip gloss on my neck, my mouth, jaw and cheeks. I decided to walk out of the room like that, see everyone's reaction. I charmed it to become bright red, smirking. I walked out, taking long, lazy strides down to dungeons where everyone was waiting for Snape to make his oh-so-unwelcome-but-nevertheless-necessary  presence.

          "Hey, Malfoy, who were you out snogging now? I mean, red really isn't your colour." People laughed and some of my fellow Sytherins cheered me on. The Gryffin-dorks just laughed in spite.

          "Yeah, well, Granger, let's see if red is yours." I stalked towards her person, leaning against a wall.

          "You wouldn't even dare to try it. _Ferret_."

          "Just watch me do it. You'll melt like butter in my hands, Granger. Butter." I grabbed her wrist when she pretended to slap me, giving me the advantage to pull her closer.

          "Hey, pretty boy," she whispered. "What's with the dark red? Snogged someone on your way here?"

          "Nah. Someone might've noticed your… Marks. Why? Jealous?" I whispered in reply. We kept our faces in snarls for show. I leaned in and smashed her lips possessively under mine. She didn't respond as planned so I opened my mouth and ran my tongue over her soft, luscious lips, so everyone could see and I felt her open her mouth slightly. I darted my tongue in and—

          "Malfoy! Granger! What's going on?!?"

          "Great timing, Snape, you overgrown bat," she muttered loud enough for me to hear. I smirked.

          "She was getting a taste of her own medicine, Professor. She practically asked for it."

          "Excuse me, Malfoy? You were the one probably making out with the portraits on your way down!" With that she flew into the classroom.

          "Mister Malfoy, your reason wasn't excuse to start making out in the hallways before class! Twenty points from Slytherin and Gryffindor." Snape's face just kept getting angrier and I took notice of the bit of jealously in his beetle black eyes. I just made myself look as innocent as possible and I walked into the classroom, taking my own bench at the back. The handful of us that had managed to take Advanced Potions for our N.E.W.Ts each had our own bench, and it always seemed to 'find' us, no matter where we sat. I passed Hermione who was placing her materials on her bench-top in her meticulous order: wand, cauldron, quill and parchment, research notes. Then came all of her ingredients, in the order they were to be put into her potion. I smirked at her predictability, eliciting a glance from her with twinkling in her eyes that could rival Dumbledore's.

          "What are you staring at, Malfoy?" Her tone was almost as alive as her eyes. Almost.

          "Who, more like, Granger," I replied, checking out her breasts from her collar. "It's your twins. How about letting them come out to play?"

          "Oi! Sod off, Malfoy. Hermione's not a total whore like you're girlfriend, Pansy," Weasel called from where he was sitting in the farthest corner of the room.

          "What, sad that I'm closer to scoring with your ex than you ever came?"

          "Boys! I _am_ still here, right?"

          I just smirked.

          "If you all would shut up and pay attention now, I will be explaining our next project." Snape just had to go and interrupt the perfect opportunity to go and mess with that red-head's face. "In the next six weeks, you will have the opportunity to choose to concoct two potions, extremely strong potions, mind you, with a partner. You're choices will range from an extremely potent form of Veritaserum, a Mind-Body-Soul Binding potion, an Aura potion, a Two-Way Control potion, a Sleeping Death serum, a Polyjuice potion, and a Morphing potion. You and your partner will discuss and choose two, research them for the first week, and then start. Whichever group finished first will get bonus marks. Whichever groups' potions work the best, will receive full marks. 

          "I have made a Compatibility potion," he pointed to the milky white substance in a glass cauldron in front of him, "in which it will automatically match you with a person of equal skill and talent. If you will all kindly please write your names on a piece of parchment and drop it in to the liquid, it will sort you in due time."

          Hushed whispers were to be heard as quill scratched against parchment and one by one, leaded by Hermione, of course, dropped their names into the cauldron. I got up and headed for Snape's desk.

_On my way to catch a flick_

_Just me and my clique_

_Stand in line, we're already late_

_Cause the movie started at eight_

_Look around tried to cop a seat_

_Take the first one that I see_

_Sit down and looked beside next to me_

_This girl, she blew my mind_

                    **_Hermione's POV_**

          I started talking to a girl who sat behind me, a girl by the name of Vanessa Damiens from Ravenclaw.

          "Who do you think you'll be partnered with, Hermione?"

          "I really don't know, but I'll be okay as long it's not one of the Slytherin jerks. I mean, who does Malfoy think he is? Sex God Almighty?"

          "But you do got to admit that he's hot. I mean hott, with a double tee." I nodded fervently.

          "But that doesn't change his attitude, it just bloats it even more."

          Right then, Snape suddenly cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him. He pointed his finger at the glass cauldron. Nothing was different about it except that it had two words (names, I guess), done in shimmering black on the front.

          "Weasley, Damiens," Snape called, reading the script that seemed to be written in each person's own handwriting. As he called names, people rearranged themselves so that they were sitting at one bench. I heard Draco's name called, I crossed my toes, hoping to be paired with him. I looked hard at the glass cauldron, will it with ever ounce of emotion.

          "Malfoy and Granger."

          I almost squealed with joy. I checked myself and turned to Draco. "Get over here, will you!"

          We started talking as her settled himself. Everyone around us was too busy to notice us, so we sat and talked.

          "What do you want to do?" I asked eagerly. I really wanted to try out that Min-Body-Soul Binding potion.

          "Besides kiss you senseless right now? I want to try that Mind-Body-Spirit Binding potion thingy. And Veritaserum."

          I agreed. "Get out of my head," I teased. 

          "I'll do more that that," he growled, placing his hand on my upper thigh. I stared at him wide eyed then giggled. This was going to be fun.

                    **_Draco's POV_**

          We flirted all through our afternoon classes. It was amazing how oblivious people were becoming these days. I cornered her in our common room after Muggle Studies. She had run out of the class in quite a hurry. I wondered what she was planning. I ran to the dorms to go change. She wasn't in the common room. I walked down the stairs five minutes later to find her dressed in an open black button down shirt with a white tube top underneath and a pair of white fleece pants.

          "Oi, Granger, you can run but you can't hide."

          "I'm not thinking of doing either, Malfoy. I plan on sitting here, finishing my homework until dinner and then doing something productive." She looked at me over her small reading glasses. Smart, sexy, hot little vixen.

          I crawled upon her person that was sprawled over a couch. Starting at her neck, I kissed my way up to her lips, never getting into her way of her reading book. I finally stopped at her ear and started licking circles in that spot she loved. She squirmed.

          "You know, you do make a godly distraction." She threw down the book and whipped off her glasses. I felt hands around the collar of my shirt, pulling my face towards hers. I felt a warm tongue run its way over my lips, and I automatically responded by taking the tongue in my teeth, biting it softly. I heard her moan and felt her push against my body. We tumbled to the floor, me on top. My hands automatically went under her shirts, feeling her bare breasts while hers went under my simple white t-shirt. I managed to slip out of my shirt and then I peeled the button down off her, followed by ripping the tube top. Her breasts were waiting for me, coral nubs just wanting to be touched by my tongue.

          As I busied myself with her chest, she managed to moan out my name several times as she undid the knot of my track pants, pushing them down as far as they'd go with her hands, then they were discarded on the floor by her feet. I was left in a pair of forest green silk boxers. I lifted my head and grinned devilishly.

          "Now, darling, it really isn't fair that I'm in my knickers and you aren't, isn't it?" I shoved down her fleece pants and mused.

          "Well, it wouldn't be, but I'm not wearing knickers, you see," she replied.

          "Yes, I do see… And I like, darling…"

          I went down on her again, kissing her fiercely, my right hand walking down her torso to the apex of her thighs. She gasped in my mouth as I rubbed my thumb against her.

          "Draco…" It was a plea. I understood fully. I pushed off my boxers and rubbed up against her again with my hardness, kissing her fiercely. She reached down and guided me into her, gasping and cringing slightly. If I hadn't known better, I'd of said she'd done this before. I grabbed my wand lying on the floor near my heap of clothes and muttered a quick protection charm and then the wand was thrown a few feet away as Hermione's legs tied themselves around my waist. I picked her up and her arms went from immobile to around my shoulders, nails digging into the back of my neck as I pulled out slowly and pushed myself back in excruciatingly slow. After awhile of this, she'd push her hips up, matching me thrust for thrust. After one final, hard thrust, she came, pulling me over the edge with her, her screaming my name as I buried my head into the hollow of her shoulder.

          When the waves of rolling ecstasy passed, I fell on top of her, our slick, sweat-doused bodies slipping against each other. I wanted to get up, but I was too exhausted. It never felt like this with anyone else; not Blaise, not Pansy, not Millicent or Storm. One word was uttered from her mouth: "Amazing."

          We ended up sleeping on the floor, the soft white shag carpet soaked from our sweat.

                    **_Hermione's POV_**

_Can't concentrate, feeling sweaty_

_Getting butterflies, getting dizzy_

_Gotta keep it cool, gotta keep it slick_

_And remember she's just a chick_

_Tell what this is that I feel inside_

_Never felt this way before, alright_

_But I gotta keep it real tonight_

          I woke up cradled in someone's arms. I tried lifting my head but I found that just trying to lick my lips was tiring. I was sore all over. Then I remembered why.

          "Draco…? I'm sore…"

          "Yeah, so am I but you see me complaining, love."

          "But I'm hungry," I whined. His arms loosened their grip and I felt that it was freezing in the common room. I groaned. "Don't. It's cold."

          He tightened his arms around me once more, leaning over and kissing each of my closed eyes.

          "You know, you look angelic. But I know from experience that you're just a little feisty thing." He waggled his eyebrows at me when I opened my eyes. I just giggled and tried getting up.

          "You know, I think having sex has worse consequences than American weed. It gives you a worse case of the munchies ever."

          He just stared at me blankly. "You've done weed? Like, weed as in marijuana? Marijuana as in illegal drugs? Drugs as in narcotics? Narcotics as in illegal?"

          I fell over, on top of him, as I laughed, my legs giving out in a snap. "Yes, as in I've actually done worse than weed, _darling_. Now don't be surprised."

          He just held on to me tighter than before and hid himself in between my shoulder and neck.

          "I'm never going to let you go."

          "I'm quite fine with that as long as I get to eat."

          "My god, woman. Is food all you think about?"

          "Can I think about that?" He pulled out from under me and glared. "Well, it is after homework and you."  
          "Homework? Homework comes before me?"

          "Well, now that I've thought about it, no, you come first. Now will you let me go? I want some dinner."

          "Bleh. You suck eggies, love." I giggled at his childish response.

          He relinquished his hold on me and I managed to gather my wand and all my clothes off the floor then travel up the stairs into my room.

          "He is… impossible yet… *sigh*…" I mumbled after I had closed my door and leant upon it.

          I went about my room dreamily, dropping my now… 'Soiled' clothes into the hamper for the house elves to collect and getting a new outfit ready for after my shower.

          "Gah. What am I going to wear? Those were some of my good clothes! Oh well." I grabbed my dressing gown from it's hanging post, one of the corners of one of my chairs, and pulled it over my body. I then headed for my closet, opening the doors and seeing the magically enhanced walk-in-closet-room. I stepped in the jumped back, my feet realizing that the floor wasn't golden shag carpet anymore. I looked around for my big, baby blue fluffy slippers but to no avail. I ended up just grabbing my wand and performing a heating spell on the cold, hardwood flooring.

          After that was done, I looked around at all the open shelves, moving racks and constantly changing drawers.

          I decided to go for something that resembled what I wore earlier. _I could probably get away with wearing it tomorrow, too_, I reasoned. It was late, so not many people would see it anyways. Gold unbuttoned buttoned down, red halter top, red fleece pants with '_Devil_' on the ass,  gold zippered City Sneak shoes with red accents. Talk about house and colour coordinated.

          I walked to the bathroom, my clothes trailing behind me in a neat pile. I levitated them down on top of a bench as I slipped into a shower stall, a nice warm waterfall cascading around my body.

_This girl she got me shook_

_With her pretty brown eyes_

_Sexy little thighs_

_The way that she moves just gets to me_

_Keep shaking that thing, and making me sing_

_She got just what I like, Everyday of the week _

_My baby so sweet_

_Come over here and turn off the lights_

_We'll do it all night, Your game is so tight_

_This girl she got me shook_

          I grabbed two large towels, one to wipe down and wrap around my person and to other for my hair. I slipped into a white terry cloth robe, shucked off the body towel and flipped my head over, so I could tie the second towel around it. After that done, my hair and the towel piled on top of my head in one of those turban-style knot things, I clothed and walked into my room.

          "You know, you look much better in green, my dear," I heard a feminine voice. I looked around and suddenly spied my reflection in the mirror. I laughed.

          "Well, you're a traitor, you know that? I like my house colours very much, thank you."

          "Well, it's your loss."

          I went about my room, gathering some jewelry to wear (golden lions with rubies for eyes for earrings and a matching necklace) and then headed for my muggle mirror to apply my make-up and brush my hair. I didn't need snippy comments and eyebrow waggling whilst trying to apply eyeliner. I decided to go simple, crimson lip stick for that Snow White look, a quick swipe of black eyeliner and then I finished it off by popping in a set of colour contacts, gold, with no pupils. I didn't need the contacts for any reason, and my eye colour had naturally changed to a sunny yellow, something like a cat, but it still looked cool to freak people out when they looked you in the eye. I just left my hair wet after brushing it, wanting it to dry naturally.

          "Speaking of cats," I said aloud, "where's Crookshanks? I haven't seen that little spoilt brat since last week!"

          I stepped out of my room, giving Charisse a quick smile and wave from where she was swinging in the tree, and ran down my stairs and up Draco's, knocking on the portrait.

          "'ello. Can I help you?"

          "Oh! Hello. Could you please get Draco for me? Just tell him I'm ready for dinner."

          "Sure." With that, the little boy scrambled up the tree in his portrait and disappeared amongst the leaves. I waited for five minutes until I decided to wait for him downstairs. Turning my back to the empty picture, I trailed slowly down the stairs, almost disappointed. I was afraid that I had done something wrong. Maybe I wasn't any good…

          (Darling, do shut up. It's very disheartening when you become so self conscious.)

          _I'm analyzing myself! Leave me alone_, I mentally yelled. I walked another step slowly when I felt a pair of arms snake their way around my waist and something bury itself in my wet hair.

          "Draco!"

          "I hear my name…"

          "Egotistical little brat," I muttered.          "C'mon, we should hurry. I'm starved and it's already seven thirty."

          "Fine," was his simple reply before pulling me into his lap and the two of us flying down the banister at great speed.

          "Oh, that was fun!" I gasped as we landed in a heap at the bottom.

          "It was. But I'm famished, too, so let's go. I want some time for snogging before we have to study and then… _sleep_."

          "Speaking of studying, what about that Potions project? We should get started on the research."

          "Yeah. That Mind-Body-Spirit potion sounds… Fun." He waggled his eyebrows. "But I think we should do something other than the Veritaserum. I mean, it's so over done."

          "Really? Well that just leaves…" I stayed sitting on his chest from where I fell and thought about out other choices. "How about that Aura potion? It's like reading each other's emotions without talking."

          "Hmm. Good point. I'll know when you've gone pissy on me for something I've said." I made a face at him then grinned.

          "Good. It's settled then. Now let's get to dinner."

          **_Draco's POV_**

_Front row at the fashion show_

_Lights down they're ready to go_

_Looking up at the runway_

_Saw the girl from the other day_

_She was sporting some silky gear_

_Didn't expect her to be here_

_Victoria's got a secret_

She's the girl that I wanna be with 

          We walked together down to the Great Hall, no one seemingly around to see us. We parted at the doors, letting her go in first so I could go gallivanting for a few minutes to make sure no one got suspicious.

          I walked around the Entrance Hall aimlessly for ten minutes before I heard someone yelling my name.

          "I hear my name," I drawled lazily as I slowly turned to face the person who called. I came face to face with none other than Potter and Weasley. "What do you two pricks want? My time is Galleons and Galleons are precious. Not that you'd know, Weasel. Probably never even held one in your hand before."

          "Stuff your fucking face, Malfoy," he sneered at me. I just smirked.

          "Fifteen point for using obscene language, Weasel. Now what do you and your boyfriend want? I have places to go, people to see."

          "What did you do to Hermione?"

          "Me? What would I want with Granger? I mean, she looks pretty good in pair of capris and a nice indecent top, but other than a few ogling glances, I don't want her. She's all yours. Unless she so chooses."

          "You did something to her, Malfoy," Potter said, stepping in front of the he-Weasel. "You did something to her, I know it. She'd never put us behind her for _you_. But whatever it is, I'll get to the bottom of it, I swear on the shackles and chains of life itself, I will."

          "I'm _soo_ scared, Potter. Nice try, but you might want to try actually talking to Granger. Might solve some of your problems quicker if you do. And actually listened."

          "_Pertrificus Totalus,_" a feminine voice said, anger seeping through, as the two mere boys in front of me toppled over, each as stiff as a board. "Maybe for once in your lives you should listen to Malfoy."

          "Yeah, well, you heard what I was saying, right?" I asked Hermione, know that she probably caught every single word of conversation, if you could call it that.

          "Yeah. Only would these two think that… They own me. Even when they're not even talking to me, for Merlin's sake! Maybe Malfoy was right all along," she continued quietly to them. "Maybe you do have a hero problem, Harry. But don't take it the wrong way. I mean, I know you feel like you've got some responsibility over everyone, but… In the eternal words of Missa, Rob, Chris, Rica, Marco, Seuygen  Randolph, and the gang in America: '_Just chill, man. Lay back and smoke the weed_.'"

          With that she left. And so did I, running after her after giving the two morons on the floor a superior smirk and a small 'I Told You So'.

                    **_Hermione's POV_**

          "I can't believe them! They don't believe that I'm making my own decisions!" I said out loud to no one in particular, even though I knew that Draco wasn't far behind me.

          "Yeah, well… I could say something…"

          "Then say it," I seethed. I quoted my shirt from earlier. "If you've got something to say, then say it straight up. But if you don't then shut the fuck up!"

          "Whoa… Someone's a little… Tetchy," he said, standing in front of me. He grabbed my shoulders gently and I reveled in his touch. I practically melted right there. My knees started to buckle when he looked me in the eye. Those usually stormy grey eyes were now even darker with lust and desire. Almost like a dark smoky colour lined and veined with slivers of silver. I swooned and he caught me, our position similar to a tango dip.

          "Well, you sure know how to make a girl fall for you, Malfoy," I purred, my fingers walking their way from his wrist to his forearms to his biceps, those perfect rippling muscles, to the back of his neck.

          "And you, my little Gryffindor rebel-vixen, are one to talk. You know just how to make me go wanton with desire."

          I giggled at his dark honesty and I tried righting myself. He wouldn't let me go.

          "Let me go right now before someone finds us, Draco," I giggled as he licked his lips.

          "So not even a thank you for defending your oh so perfect arse, Granger? I mean…" I cut him off as I leaned up and kissed him, licking his lips with my tongue.

          "There. That shut you up. Now let go."

          "What about my thank you?" He pouted, glassing his eyes over, a pretty good Bambi impression.

          "Well," I whispered huskily, leaning up to him as much as I could without falling, "That can wait for our dormitory, can't it?" 

          I licked my lips, trying my hardest to hold back a grin as his eyes widened and a mischievous grin plastered itself over his face. I knew he was thinking dirty.

          He put me back on my feet and rushed us back to our dorm. All the way there, I just kept on thinking that he was in for a big surprise.

_Can't concentrate, feeling sweaty_

_Getting butterflies, getting dizzy_

_Gotta keep it cool, gotta keep it slick_

_And remember she's just a chick_

_Tell what this is that I feel inside_

_Never felt this way before, alright_

_But I gotta keep it real tonight_


	5. What A Girl Wants

Only Fools Rush In

***Disclaimer –** I *do not* own anything except my original characters, my story and plot lines and my scenarios, even though they've probably been used, mauled and distorted before. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!!! And, also, please don't sue me for any of the copyrighted things in here (like music and songs) unless they're my own or if I added or changed a line, that line is MINE!. [Scratches head sheepishly.] **Okay! Enjoy!* {I mean, really, c'mon, _I_ were JKR, would I be posting these on this site?}**

            Chapter 5 – What A Girl Wants: Lessons from Malfoy and a Radio 

**                        _Ron's POV_**

"Harry," I moaned, my head in my hands. "What am I going to do, mate? I mean, 'Mione's…"

          "Oi, I know whatcha mean, Ron… Maybe… Maybe… Maybe it's just a phase?"

          I looked up at him in disgust. "Oi, Harry. Wipe your mouth."

          "What???" His face reflected his tone of voice. If I had been in a better mood, I would've laughed at the confusion in his stare.

          "It's full of bullshit." And again my head went into my hands.

          _What is wrong with me? Did I do something to her to _drive_ her to Malfoy?_ I thought dejectedly.

          "'Mione! It's been ages since you've visited!" I looked around and spotted Ginny and Hermione in an embrace. I shot them a dirty look even though they were paying me no mind.

          The two of them sat near the fireplace, exactly ten paces from mine and Harry's current position. They started talking, gossiping, no doubt, about things until I heard the name 'Draco' disgrace my sister's lips. I started paying attention. My eyes caught Harry's and we leaned closer together, to look as if we were in conversation, to eavesdrop upon them.

          "Yeah, well, Harry and Ron made some sort of scene while I managed to shovel down my '_din-din_'. He was defending me from them and when I walked away he caught up with me, simple."

          "Then what's with the lip gloss? Or, well, lack thereof," Ginny commented.

          "_Weeeell_, when he caught up with me, he was holding on to my shoulders and I," Hermione blushed a crimson to match the red in her outfit, "well, I pretty much melted when I looked into his eyes… _Sigh_. You know, his eyes turn from a light smoke to mercury highlighted with silver when he makes me melt, Gin! I swooned and he caught me and he asked for a thank you for defending me and all that rot. I wanted him to shuttup so badly that I just kissed him!"

          Ginny gasped then continued giggling. "Go on!"

          "And… Well, I told him the kiss was to shut him up and he asked for his thank you again and I," she grinned guiltily, "teased him into thinking that I'd give it to him in our dorm!"

          "Oh, my God, Hermione! What did-- Wait. Did you do what I think you did?"

          "If I did, Ginny, I'd probably be back in my common room, snogging him senseless! No, I brought him to our common room, gave him a peck on the cheek and said thank you! What were you thinking?" The two of them giggled at the predictability of Draco and men in general. "Anyways, he got so mad that I was afraid that he might go and break something, so I decided to come visit. Y'know, let him simmer for a bit."

          "Hermione Bethany-Anne Granger, you are so cruel, you know that!"

          "Well, Gins, that's me in a nutshell! What fun it was! Ohh, I could fancy a drink right now, you know? Maybe… Ohh, rum and coke."

          Ginny's eyes widened as she gasped out "You drink?"

          "On the occasion, honey, just when I feel like it." A cheeky grin was plastered on Hermione's face. I was thoroughly disgusted now. They went on talking, but I didn't feel like hearing anymore.

          "Oi, Harry, you think it's just a phase now?"

          "Well, it does explain a lot of things, you know, mate. Like, I visited her over the summer before, like last summer and the one before that. She seemed exactly like this, all… Exuberant. I guess…"

          "What?" My tone of voice surged, causing some surrounding people to look at us.

          "I guess this is really her. That's all I can think of. I've been so used to… Well, taking advantage of her all the time to not really notice what really makes up Hermione Granger." He held his had up at me when I made to protest. "No, Ron, look. We do take advantage of her. We use her for her book smarts, her loyalty and that's it."

          "Well, what do we do?" I was desperate to try and get my best friend and girlfriend back.

          "There's only one thing to do, Ron: we go to the one who obviously knows her best at the moment."

          "That being…? You know, I'm not the brightest flame on the torch, mate."

          "We got to go to Malfoy."

                   **_Draco's POV_**

          "Granger, you fucking little blint! You can't do that to me!" I seethed out loud. I had to get her back, she couldn't just leave me hanging by a thread of my sanity!

          "Damnit," I swore again as I threw her CD player across the room and repaired it with a flick of my wand. I walked over to where it was lying upright on the floor and turned it on to the radio setting.

          "…_And here's Sean Paul's 'Gimme Di Light' and you're listening to DJ Markey-Mark on the WWN, the world's best Wizarding Wireless Network!_"

          As the opening words and heavy beats came blaring through the air, I calmed down, even though I couldn't even comprehend half of the words. _Diwali rhythms or reggae or something. Just some sort of dance music_, I thought. A lot of the Muggle music was being played on the WWN lately, not that I minded. It was much better than ours. And it was a proven fact that the majority of famous people were actually wizards. No muggle could be that famous and get away with it.

          I settled on the couch nearest as I let the heavy bass beats wash over me. I started smirking as I dreamt up a revenge scheme to get Hermione back. Three loud consecutive knocks from the doorway drew me out of my reverie.

          "Malfoy, you in there?"

          "Sounds like Potter. I must be delusional," I mused, getting up and walking to the portrait archway. I waved my hand in front of it and it became transparent from the inside. What I saw surprised. Not only was I right, I was right with a cherry on top. Potter and his red-headed boyfriend were outside my door, asking for me.

          "What do you want, Potter?" I called, wondering exactly that.

          "We need to talk, Malfoy. And this time I really mean talk."

          "Well, the last time I heard you say that was… Never. Happy to hear you say that you need me, but I'm really not into that kind of thing, sorry! I'm quite happy with women!"

          "Malfoy, let us in. We need to talk. It's about Hermione."

          I raised an eyebrow, wondering what in bloody blue blazes they could want to talk to me about their friend. _Or former, anyways_.

          "If you're just going to blame me for everything that's happened, then don't expect to be let in."

          "No, we… We'd…"

          "Yes, Potter? My time is precious, unlike your lives."

          "Damnit, Malfoy!" He yelled. He face was screwed in concentration. "WE NEED YOUR HELP!"

          I was taken aback. This really _was_ something. I laid a hand on the now transparent picture backing and it dissolved in thin air, leaving me and them face to face. We stood, eyeing each other, for a full two minutes.

          "Well, are you coming in or not?" With that I swept myself into the room, muttering distinct cleaning charms on the way to the couch near the stereo.

                   **_Harry's POV_**

          As I walked in, I noticed that the place was big. Their common room was almost twice or three time the size of the one in Gryffindor. There were about a dozen doors on the east and west walls, punctuated by pictures and the Gryffindor and Slytherin house colours. I peered over to the large fireplace, large enough to stand in, and saw a picture of Hermione and Malfoy, standing together in front of their picture doorway. Smiling. It must've been a Muggle camera because neither figure in the image was moving.

          When Ron and I had settled ourselves on a couch across Malfoy, I launched straight to the point, knowing Ron was just waiting to pummel him right then and there.

          "Look, Malfoy, we need your help. Hermione's changed and we've learned that. But we want to know… Well, to put it bluntly? What makes you so special to her?"

          He looked at us incredulously and then laughed. I bit my tongue waiting for him to finish having his laugh.

          "Really, Potter, you need a lesson in women and in tact. If you want honesty to your question, I have no bloody clue. But if you want to ask her yourselves, you're quite welcome to it. Just tell me her answer, will you?" He reclined in his spot, arms spread on the couch back.

          "Malfoy, just tell us, bloody hell, teach us!" Ron yelled, his hands gripping the golden cushion under him, knuckles white.

          "Wow, never thought I'd hear that out of your mouth, Weasley."

          "Look, Malfoy. We just want Hermione back, even if we have to share her with you!"

          "Hmm, lesson one: Don't treat a woman like an object, in front of her or behind her back." Ron and I gave him a unified stare of confusion.

          "Potter, listen to your own words. You said you wanted her back even if you had to share her with me. You're treating her like an object, like a toy three little boys are squabbling for."

          "_…And here's one for the ladies, B2K's 'What A Girl Wants' and then we'll have Christina Aguilera's version! And guess what? You got that right! It's the Battle Bomb between…_"

          "There, boys. Your first guideline to women."

          "What? What are you spouting off now, Malfoy?" Ron shot, face reddening with anger.

          "Listen to the songs. The titles should be enough for you. _'What A Girl Wants_'."

_Yo I don't know what's going on but I do know one thing_

_You gotta make it right aiight_

_Man what's going on with you_

_Why you treat her like you do_

_When you know the girl is all about you_

_Tell me, why you always lose your head_

_Should find a better way to handle it_

_You need to stop this game, before you _

_mess around and lose (just trying to help you)_

          "See?" Malfoy pointed his wand at the stereo and it stopped. "Now, let's analyze this. 'Man, what's going on with you/Why you treat her like you do/When you know the girl is all about you?' Answer that."

          "Treat her like what?"

          "Treat her the way you do, Weasel! Look at the wording, it isn't very complex, even for you. I'm asking why do you treat her like the boring, un… Hmm, understanding, boring bookworm that she _looks_ like?" He looked at us, and when I looked him in the eye, I could tell he saw the more alive part of Hermione me and Ron never noticed before.

          "Well, if you aren't going to answer, I'll go on."

                   **_Ron's POV_**

           "'Tell me, why you always loose your head/Should find a better way to handle it.'  A little straightforward, isn't it? Like you, Weasley. Tap down the temper, like that night in the hospital wing. Can't let her piss you off. Well, you can, just don't show it."

          I was confused. Is this what I had done? I mean, I admit, I really didn't want to come to Malfoy, but he was actually giving me some insight. Maybe if I wasn't such a hot head sometimes I could actually get and keep a girlfriend.

          "Malfoy, lemme ask you something. How come you know so much about this? Like, women and stuff?"

          "Well, Weasel, a few reasons. One, _majority _of purebloods are raised knowing, two, let me ask you how many hourglass figures on legs have you dated and three it's just common sense! I mean, if a girl asks if she's fat, you say no. If she accuses you of lying, just give her the old slip of the tongue and she feels loved for hours. And what you give you shall always receive. Tenfold." He smirked and waggled his eyebrows.

          "Is that all you think about, Malfoy? Your trysts, your conquests?" I said, outraged. He sighed and closed his eyes.

          "As much as you'd like to think it, Weasel, no. I do care, I do give a damn about my girlfriends. Why do you think I haven't had many? Only enough to count on one hand if I cared to try."

          I was startled. Malfoy, opening up to us, let alone being civil? When did Blast-Ended Skrewts talk and Umbridge become human?

          "Okay, Malfoy," Harry said. "What's next? I mean, I really want to start talking to Hermione again."

          "Hmm. Where were we?" He seemed flustered. "Yeah. 'You better stop this game/Before you mess around and lose'. Obvious, innit? I mean, it's like what I play on the outside, egotistical jerk. But I know better. I know how to treat a person, treat a woman, and do it properly." I just quirked an eyebrow in disbelief. "C'mon. I'll tell you more later. I'm starved. You guys put me off an excellent dinner earlier."

(*A/N: I just thought you'd be sick of the guys for awhile. Gonna go see what 'Mione's up to! ^_~*)

                   **_Hermione's POV_**

          I sighed as I sat on Parvati's bed along with Ginny. Parvati, Lavender, and a pair of seventh year Gryffindor twins, Sueyeng and Asia Manchester, were scattered about on beds and on top of desks.

          "'Mione, where'd you get this stuff? You rock!" Sueyeng exclaimed as she sipped a Mike's Hard Lemonade.

          "Yeah, 'Mione, you know you could lose your position if anyone found out." Ginny said seriously as she sipped a Pink Lady.

          I looked at them over the rim of my margarita. "You guys, if you haven't noticed, I don't care anymore. I'm sick of playing that little… game with myself every year!"

          "Well," Lavender said, standing from her Indian-style position on the floor and holding up her martini in the air. "To a brand new year, new chances, new opportunities and, most of all, a new Hermione Granger!"

          We all stood and clinked our glasses, alcohol sloshing over the rims. We giggled and resumed our former positions.

          "So what's the guy dirt?" Asia asked over her Long Island iced tea. Parvati shot her eyes at me and giggled, spilling a bit of her Bacardi down her front.

          "My God, Parvati! Could've given me a chance," I laughed, downing the last dregs of the bright blue margarita and getting up to fix myself some more at the portable bar in the corner.

          "Well, what's the Draco news?" Sueyeng pressed, her lips pressed to the top of the alcoholic lemonade bottle.

          "Okay, I know that Draco has the most… To die for eyes!" I gushed, picking up a bottle Smirnoff Ice out of the cooler. "You melt in his hands!"

          "Ohh!" they all replied, looking at me like I was their last meal. "More!"

          "Like, how far have you gone?" Sueyeng pressed again. I looked at the petite Asian girl and thought _I'll never be as pretty as her or Asia_.

          Sueyeng and Asia Manchester were short, standing 4'10" at full height. They had come to Hogwarts in our sixth year and a lot of the girls were immensely jealous of them. They had small, blue almond shaped eyes, the only British attribute in their Anglo-Chinese heritage. Their skin was a perfect creamed-coffee colour and they had straight-as-pins black hair with red, brown and gold highlights. They were perfect in every way, physically and personality-wise: they were friendly, funny, everything any guy wanted. The only difference was that Asia wasn't really enthusiastic for parties and such. She was like the Hermione façade: bookworm. Sueyeng **(*A/N: Sueyeng is pronounced 'Sue-jen' or 'Sue-yen'.*)** was the typical, stereotype teenage girl, only deeper, more real.

          I pushed aside my thoughts and answered her. 

          "Well… Not very far," I lied. I blushed and didn't even try to cover it up. It was like I wanted them to know but I didn't.

          "Liar!" Asia exclaimed, breaking out of her quietness. She could always party when she wanted to, that one. "Ohh, have you gone all the way?"

          "No!" I exclaimed then I gave myself away with a giggle, drowning it in vodka.

          "AHHH! You didn't! Oh, my God! You did! When? You should've told me!"

          I was bombarded with questions and I tried to answer them all but I became confused. I remember saying something in French mixed with English mixed with Latin, but it came out as total drunken jargon.

          "I tinks," I slurred after my sixth round of drinks, "I tinks it's time 'Mione's gotten a sobering charm!"

          After I managed to find my wand, I pointed it at myself and slurred out '_Siccus funditus!_' and my head instantly cleared. I looked at my watch and saw it was already midnight.

          "Ew, you're a wet blanket, 'Mione!" Lavender laughed out.

          "C'mon, guys! If I left you for drunk, you would've woken up with hangovers later on! That would've give us away!"

          "She's right, girls. I suggest we sleep," Asia called from a corner. Everyone looked at her, daggers for stares. "And do this again tomorrow!"

          "Yeah! Go Asia!" everyone cheered. We cleaned up and went back to our respective beds and rooms for the night. Little did I know that the alcoholic stupor would've done me some good before I stepped into my common room with a shrunken cooler in my pocket.

                   **_Draco's POV_**

          After I had managed to down some food from the kitchens in fifteen minutes, I was dragged back to my room by Potter and Weasley.

          "Didn't realize I was so popular with the blokes in this school," I laughed as I smirked and followed the two others in front of me to the Head Tower to continue their '_lessons_'.

          "Shut up and say the password, Malfoy."

          "No need to get your knickers knotted, Weasley." I leaned forward and a tall, statuesque wizard in green and silver robes (obviously cheering for Slytherin in that portrait) popped his head out of the crowds.

          "Password, please, sir?"

          "Dorlain, must we go through this every time? I mean, you know it's me."

          He scowled and repeated his request.

          "Fine, fine. _Oh what a tangled web we weave/When we first practice to deceive_. Happy now?" Dorlain just grunted and the portrait dissolved.

          "I don't understand why Granger insists to make it swing open. It's very dangerous," I said to no one in particular. "It's better if it dissolves into thin air. Much more dramatic. So I changed it when she left."

          They just looked at me like I had suddenly morphed half my body into a Hippogriff.

          "Well, are you coming in or what? Must I remind you that this was your idiotic idea?"

          They tromped in and the portrait resolved itself into its place. I resumed my seat from earlier and poked the stereo with my wand.

_What a girl wants_

_what a girl wants, what a girl needs_

_What a girl wants, what a girl needs_

_A guy to be there for her_

_What a girl needs_

_what a girl needs what a girl wants_

_what a girl needs what a girl wants_

_Honesty, love, and a friend_

          "Listen to that, Weasel. Take the advice of people with experience," I said as the chorus came floating in from its paused status previous.

          "Shut up, Malfoy. I don't see how you possess those qualities," he retorted as I poked the music system again and it paused once more.

          "Well, you don't see them. Any other female would think differently. I mean, when she asks you a question, the only time I'll lie is when I absolutely have to or if I don't know or if I care for her considerably."

          "Do you care about Hermione?" Potter asked quietly, leaning his elbows against his knees. "Do you, Malfoy? Or are you just using her for the time being? Does she mean shit to you? Do you give a flying fucking fruitcake about her?"

          "I don't have to answer to you, Potter. You don't bear any significance to me, so you have no reason to be asking me that." I stood over him, jaw clenched. I never even heard the entrance fizzle open. All my attention was consumed by trying not to strike his seated form. Then he stood. I still towered over him, my 6'11" form shaming his 6'5", 6'6" stature.

          "Just answer me, you unworthy bastard. Do you really care about her? I just don't want to see Hermione hurt when you leave in the corner of one of your dark, dank dungeons."

          "Remember what I say about what happens when you assume things, Potter," I seethed, staring him down although he wouldn't budge. "You make and Ass out of you and me."

          "Yeah, but just remember this: you do anything wrong to her, one hair on her is out of place, you're dead. I don't care about Daddy Dearest or of your sissy little Dark Lord. You hurt her, your world will crumble."

          "Actions speak louder than words, Harry. But just remember that thoughts never hurt anyone; actions do."

          I looked up from and past Potter and Weasley (who had risen behind his friend) to see Hermione's small figure behind the silver satin upholstered couch, hands resting on the backboard. Her golden eyes flickered upon me. My eyes widened in shock to see… Wait… Blink… Yes, she had no pupils. It was just shades of gold, graduating from a early sunrise on the outsides to molten bullion where her pupil should've been.

          "Draco," she acknowledged quietly, accentuated with a small nod, sending the feathered hair around her shoulders rippling.

          "Hermione," I replied in greeting, stepping past the gaping forms of both Neanderthals. She hesitated and stepped back one before launching herself at me, full force. I caught her and held her in my arms, waiting for her sobs but they never came. She just buried her head in my chest.

          "Clear off," I whispered enough for all in the room to hear.

          "No, Malfoy. We need to talk. Me, Ron and Hermione."

          "Oh, sod off you prick. Are you blind? Do you want me to strengthen the prescription on those glasses of yours? Now leave before I get Snape in here."

                   **_Hermione's POV_**__

          I heard Ron try to argue but he was silenced quickly by Harry. I didn't dare to look up from Draco's chest, afraid of what I might do. I felt like hurting them for coming to Draco when they had already made it clear they loathed me now. I felt that if I face either one, I might just regard them coldly. I felt that if I saw their faces, I might just forgive them and we might just go back to before, which was the prospect I hated the most. I couldn't go back to before, never to remember this like an unspeakable scenario that was just imagined. I couldn't and I wouldn't.

          "Hermione, when you think things are… okay again, you know exactly where to find us. We'll be right there, waiting."

          Now I really felt like crying. I felt guilty for hurting Harry. Not so much Ron, because he was annoying, predictable and… Somewhat dim. His looks had improved over the years but not much else. But Harry was a different story altogether. I couldn't bear hurting him anymore than he was already hurting. After losing Sirius in our fifth year, he closed himself up and it took a long time for us to help him through it. Everything he ever had, friends, girlfriends, he cherished with his life, always in constant fear that he would one day lose everything at the hands of someone he loved. It was that that broke my heart.

          "And I'll be right beside him, Hermione," Ron said, his tone strange for a consolation. But I found out why. "I'll be right beside him waiting to say 'I told you so'. But then I'll be ready to take you back, to forgive you."

          **(*A/N: I gasped at myself at how rude the Ron in my mind replied, too!*)**

          I gasped at his bluntness, his forthrightness. I looked up at Draco, his face swimming along with the tears in my eyes. I turned moved back from him, letting the tears fall, to face Harry and Ron. Draco kept his hand on my shoulder and it felt like he was giving me the strength to do what I was going to do.

          "Stay away, Weasley. Whatever you do, do not get in my way. Do not provoke me. Don't talk to me."

          "Or what? Hmm? Get your boyfriend after me?" He taunted me now, suddenly never remembering all our adventures and escapades together.

          "No, I'll do worse. I'll let go of all coherent thought and go after you myself. You'll be bleeding so bad that Snape wouldn't have enough Blood Restoration Potion, you'll look so disfigured that your mother won't recognize you, wouldn't _want_ to."

          "I'm so scared," he mocked, eyes challenging me to do something.

          "You should be, _Weasley_. What we had was a lie. I used to be a lie, so consider never even knowing Hermione Bethany-Anne Granger."

                   **_Harry's POV_**

_You always coming down on her(why)_

_Using all the foul words(why)_

_When you know she'll do anything for you_

_Tell me, why you always lie to her_

_And doing things she don't deserve_

_Man if you don't stop _

_Then she'll end up leaving you_

          As I watched Ron and Hermione simultaneously turn their backs on each other and walk off, I was torn. I knew that Ron would never in his right mind show himself to her anymore and I also knew that he would be moping around for a long time. But Hermione, I just wasn't sure anymore. Now it was me and Malfoy left in the living area of their tower.

          "Malfoy, I'll see you tomorrow."

          "Why, Potter? Just stay away from her, from us, and you'll be fine."

          "No, Malfoy. I still want to try and understand this… All of it. It wasn't me who said all those things. It was Ron. As much as you'd like to believe, we do not share a brain. So I'll see you after lunch." It was Saturday tomorrow so I could probably spend my day tearing myself between my two friends who were former friends and significant others at one point.

          I turned around without waiting for an answer and left, the wall dissolving as I approached.

                   **_Draco's POV_**

          "Hermione? Hermione, answer your door. Please…"

          "Go away, Draco… Just go away…" I heard her break into fresh sobs. I turned to the little girl in the portrait. She was looking scared and worried. I remembered seeing her sometimes playing with Ian in my picture door. I just couldn't recall her name…

          "Hey," I said gently to the girl. "Can you let me in? My girlfriend's in there and she's really sad."

          "Nuh-uh," she whispered, shaking her little blonde head. "Not 'less you know da passh-word."

          Thankfully I had persuaded Ian to tell me Hermione's password. He told me he had been there when she had changed it.

          "I know it, sweetheart. If I told it to you would you let me in?" She nodded. "I think it goes something like _Somewhere there's someone who dreams of your smile/And finds in your presence that life is worthwhile/So when you're lonely, remember it's true/Someone, somewhere, is thinking of you_. Right?"

          "Yeah… Okay, buhbye." The little girl scrambled up the tree in the background and the picture disappeared to reveal a large oak door. I knocked lightly and invited myself in, pushing it open and peeking my head in a little to make sure she wasn't going to curse me to bits and pieces.

          "How did you get in here?" she asked quietly instead. Her eyes were red and puffy and she was curled up in a large, fluffy, red velvet armchair.

          "I found out your password. I'll tell you some other time. Scoot."

          I heard a small giggle and a word sounding like 'Scoot?' from her curled up form as she moved into her corner even more.

          "Care to let me in on the joke?" I lifted her into my lap so that she was half lying on me and half on the chair. She recoiled herself so that her head was on my chest, the rest of her body dumped on my legs. I tried to hold myself back as she squirmed on top of me.

          _C'mon, body! Work with me here!_ I screamed at myself. _Now's not the time, no matter how enticing her giggle, no matter how much she squirms… *drool*_

          "No, not really," she sighed into my shirt. "But I will say I'm sorry and thank you."

          "Sorry? Sorry for what?"

          "That little prank I pulled earlier. I know you were steamed. And thank you… For, well, obvious reasons."

          I kissed the top of her head, in the middle of the part in her hair. "No problem. Anything for you. By the way, aren't you curious or, well, '_steamed_' at why those two dorks were here?"

          "Not really. I was actually waiting, really. I mean, Harry isn't really as dim as he seems. Quite bright, actually."

          "Right. I'll believe it when I see it. So, what's your… Plans for tomorrow, baby?"

          "Baby? When did this happen?"

          "I don't know. You tell me."

          "I quite like it, actually. So, I don't know. What are you doing tomorrow? Well, we really should be saying today…"

          Hmmm, this was interesting. It was almost as if we were a couple… Maybe, just maybe…

          "Well, there is the subject of Quidditch practice. Gotta get the ol' team back in shape. Then we have a Prefect and staff meeting. And I do need to start my homework. And then there is the time where I devote my whole, undivided attention to you. And food."

          "I get time from you?" She looked up at me, warm molten orbs of gold (pupils back in place) pulling me in. I couldn't help it. I leant down and kissed her.

          It was just something simple and small but I felt her grin against my lips.

          "Draco," she said as she pulled away, arms wrapped around my neck. "Draco, are we… Are we an 'us'?"

          "I don't know, are we?" I replied teasingly. She pulled me down for another kiss, this one more breathtaking, yet also as simple.

          "I guess so, darling," I said, trying my hardest to breath evenly.

          "So where does that take us?"

          "Wherever we want to go, Hermione. Wherever fate takes us."

          "Oh, my big, strong, sexy, philosophical man," she teased. "I mean, what do we do now? Can we tell everyone? Or do we…"

          "Well, I wouldn't be surprised if Weasley won't keep his trap shut. So I guess that only leaves… Making everyone around us sick like you did when you had your little fling with him."

          "Really?" She cocked an eyebrow. "But what about everyone? I mean, not just the Slytherins and Gryffindors,  but… Your father, Voldemort?"

          "Well, to paraphrase your words, love, I run my life, not my son of a bitch father, not that little wannabe Dark Lord or any of these stupid gits in this school. I mean, to be blunt, I'll just go tell them to go sit on their fingers and rotate."

          "Oh, I wonder where you got that from," she said, winking. I grinned at the memory. "Well, I'd love to see Snape's face when you say that to him."

          "Well, I'd love to see it too, and live, but we all can't get our wishes, now can we?"

          "Right. Well, as the song goes 'Funny How All Dreams Come True'."

                   **_Hermione's POV_**

_What a girl wants_

_what a girl wants, what a girl needs_

_What a girl wants, what a girl needs_

_A guy to be there for her_

_What a girl needs_

_what a girl needs what a girl wants_

_what a girl needs what a girl wants_

_Honesty, love, and a friend_

          (Oh! Dreams do come true, don't they darling!)

(A/N: I know you were waiting for the annoying-egos! Thought I wouldn't put them in this chapter, huh! =P)

          "Been dreaming about me now, eh, Granger?" Draco replied silkily, lazily blinking his eyes in an amused manner. To get him back, I writhed in his lap casually. I saw his eyes go from smoke to mercury in a flash and back again and I knew he was willing himself not to show.

          "Well, after today, maybe."

          "Evil little wench," I heard him mutter. I just unbuttoned his off blue silk shirt and claimed his chest as my pillow.

          "You know," he said out loud again. "I think we should go to sleep. It's late and we don't want to sleep in too much. I booked the pitch for us at one thirty."

          "Well, I can sleep in. I don't fly. So you can wake me up when you get back."

          "I don't think so, 'Mione," he replied, picking me up from his lap and placing me on the bed. I got up and stretched, following him to the bathroom.

          "What d'you mean? I'm sleeping in!" I exclaimed with a yawn.

          "Yeah right. You're coming to watch even if I have to carry you down in your pajamas." He turned to smirk at me as he headed to the sink next to mine. He took out his toothbrush, squeezed some toothpaste onto it and started brushing. I followed suit.

          "No point in arguing, baby," he said as he put away his toiletries and headed for his room.

          "Fine," I said, fake pouting. Then I stopped and pouted for real. "Stay with me tonight? Please?"

          He walked over to me and embraced me into his arms. Despite the 12 inch height difference, I fit into his arms perfectly enough for him to lightly rest his chin on my head.

          "I'd never leave you, babe. Never for a moment."

          Those were the words I'd been longing to hear from someone, anyone, who cared. I had actually found them, him.

          "Now, if you'll let me go get my pj's on, we can go to sleep. I suggest you do the same. I'll see you in you're room?"

          I nodded. "Yeah. But I warn you, I might already be asleep."

          "Try and wait, babe," he replied, winking.

          "Chauvinist," I joked, calling it out to him from the open door to his room.

          "Chauvinist? What did I do?"

          "Nothing. Just felt like saying it, you know. See your reaction." I shrugged.

          As I walked into my room, I thought about my day, about my whole life. How much I had changed, how much my world was livening up from a full stop that was the bossy, bookworm of yesteryear, to the full-blown tornado that was now.

          _I'm bi-polar_, I thought, grinning. _Happy, drunk, excited one moment, murderous and on the verge of tears the next._

          (Just figured that now, hmm? I've had to witness every single thing you've done over the past seventeen years. I found that out a long time ago.)

          _Thanks for enlightening me sooner,_ I told her sarcastically.

          (No problem, dearie. No problem.)

                   **_Draco's POV_**

_You don't know what you got, until it's gone_

_And you left all alone _

_She'll be up and out the door_

_And I'll be right there to say I told you so_

_Oh no you had your chance _

_Take a hike, should've been a man_

_Now she's gone _

_All because you were doing wrong _

_Should've listen to me._

          I stood over my dresser, thinking about Hermione. _Amazing. She was right. Funny how dreams do come true_.

           I shucked off my sweats and slipped on a pair of black silk **(*A/N: I know, so cliché.*)** pajama pants and grabbed the matching button down shirt from its hanger. I slipped it on, unbuttoned, as I walked through the bathroom to the open door of her bedroom.

          "_J'adore tu, ma cherie_._ Je ne aurai pas ressortir_," I whispered, staring at her sleeping form on the large bed. I quietly stepped forward and sat on the edge of the large four-poster. "_Jamais_. _J'ai pormettent._"

          "You know, I love it when you speak French," she whispered without opening her eyes.

          "_J'aime tu quand tu as tranquille_," I joked at her, laughing. **(I like you when you are quiet.)**

          "What?" she asked, opening her eyes to look at me suspiciously.

          "_Tu dois écouter, _Hermione," I replied, grinning and enjoying out little game, which I was winning. **(You should listen, Hermione.)**

"You know, I should've learned French when I had the chance," she muttered, pulling me down on the bed and burying her head in my chest again.

          "I could teach you," I said and I instantly regretted it. She looked up avidly.

          "Really? Would you?" I just groaned.

          "Please? Draco you wouldn't know how much this would mean to me!"

          "Fine. That adds something else to add to our schedule tomorrow, then."

          "Tomorrow? We can start tomorrow? Really?"

          "If you want to, you better get some sleep, babe."

          She pouted, probably wanting to start at this exact moment. I just laughed and hugged her.

_What a girl wants_

_what a girl wants, what a girl needs_

_What a girl wants, what a girl needs_

_A guy to be there for her_

_What a girl needs_

_what a girl needs what a girl wants_

_what a girl needs what a girl wants_

Honesty, love, and a friend 

          "I never want you to leave, Draco. Never again," she whispered sleepily.

          "I already told you I never would. _Je ne aurai pas ressortir. Jemais. J'ai promettent._ It means 'I will never leave. Never again. I do promise.' And I'll do just that."

          I heard her sigh and I waited until her breathing became even against my chest. I hugged her tightly, wishing I could hug her forever and leave all the evils of the world behind.


	6. I Will Be Waiting

Only Fools Rush In

***Disclaimer –** I *do not* own anything except my original characters, my story and plot lines and my scenarios, even though they've probably been used, mauled and distorted before. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!!! And, also, please don't sue me for any of the copyrighted things in here (like music and songs) unless they're my own or if I added or changed a line, that line is MINE!. [Scratches head sheepishly.] **Okay! Enjoy!* {I mean, really, c'mon, _I_ were JKR, would I be posting these on this site?}**

**A/N**: Yea, Uh, this is a note for Kel: Yeah, I did do major typos on the height thing, lol! Draco is supposed to be 6'1"  (slippery fingers ;P) and Harry's supposed to be 5'9" (again with the butterfingers!) But it's all due to lack of beta! *Sniffles*. And Kari-demon, I'll tell you right now; I'm sadistic. I LOVE TO SEE YOU SQUIRM! Lol. And for all you linguists out there, I warn you that the other languages in here have been done ROUGHLY. I am studying these languages but still, sadly, am not able to speak them yet. Please, bear with me. I AM YOUR SLAVE! I WRITE WHAT YOU WANT! Well, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Nice long a juicy for you, since you had to wait sooo long!

          **Chapter 6 – I Will Be Waiting: Amazing**

                   **_Hermione's POV_**

_I wanna love you like I never loved you tonight_

_If it's alright_

_I wanna tell you things I've never said in my life_

_I'm gonna hold you when the sun refuses to shine_

_I wanna show you that I'll always be by your side_

          I woke up stiff; it felt as if I hadn't moved at all during the night. And it became evident that I hadn't because of the locked arms that held me against a warm chest. I involuntarily licked my lips and my tongue came in contact with skin. _Delicious_, I thought wickedly. 

          I buried my head into the soft expanse of chest and rubbed my face against it to try and rid myself of the weariness I felt, eliciting a contented sigh from him.

          "Draco, wake up." I urged. "C'mon, Draco, I really need my arms!"

          "Hmmphm…"

          "Draco, c'mon, please? I know it's Saturday, but you have practice!"

          "Mmph… Don't… hmph… Care…"

          I gave an exasperated sigh and laid quietly for a few more minutes, my body numbing more and more. I could feel the pins-and-needles sensation hitting the back of my neck. I sighed again and was suddenly hit with an idea.

          "Draco," I said as huskily as I could muster. "Draco, c'mon. you don't have to go to practice, but I do really need you to wake up so I can give you a _proper_ good morning…"

          His eyes shot open and his grip immediately loosened. I giggled and muttered about the predictability of men.

          "You know, you're very cruel," he remarked whilst stretching on my bed. I was going around my room looking for clothes to wear.

          "That's me in a nutshell," I replied, repeating my answer from the previous night. "What should I wear today?"

          "Something in green."

          "You'd like my reflection."

          "Huh?"

          "Last night my mirror told me that I would look better in green."

          "You would," he said, coming up behind me and engulfing me in his arms.

          "Fine. I know what to wear today."

          "What is it?"

          "My silver velvet pants thingy. And you can lend me your green rave sweater," I said triumphantly as we rocked on the spot.

          "Rave sweater? I don't think I own one of those," he replied slowly.

          "You do. It's that thick knit turtleneck one. Or the not turtleneck one. Well, one of the thick knit sweaters. That's a rave sweater."

          "Sure, whatever. Just as long as you don't shrink it. I think you'd look good in something long and baggy. Um, I think what muggles call…" I looked at his face, contorted in concentration. "Pug or hug style?"

          "Thug," I corrected. I giggled. "No, I'm not going thuggette. I'm going more rave and jungle styles."

          "Rave? Jungle? Care to enlighten me?"

          I laughed at the incredulous look on his face. I guess when I said jungle, he was thinking along the lines of Tarzan. That thought just made me laugh harder.

          "A rave is a type of big dance party with techno music. Jungle is sort of the same, only with jungle music. Like heavy bass beats and stuff."

          "Whatever," he repeated as we made our way to the bathroom, me summoning my clothes and jewelry from the wardrobe and Draco actually going into his room to scrounge out clothes to practice in.

          I started a bath (lemon-lime water) and tapped the wall, muttering an Italian charm I learned, '_Musica giocatore_'. An old nineties song came floating through the air, one of my favourites, D-Cru's 'I Will Be Waiting'. I started singing along to it.

          "You know, you have a great voice, _bella_," Draco said from the doorway of his room.

          "Italian? You speak Italian _and_ French?" It was my turn to look at him incredulously.

          "_Si, mi bella_."

          "_Quien dignidad haber pensamiento!_" I smirked at his bemused/amused expression. "_L'español, mi amor._"** (Who would have thought! Spanish, my love.)**

          "_Evidentemente, cara mia_," he replied, his turn to smirk at me. **(Evidently, my dear.)**

          "How about we stuck to English, hmm, _mi amor_? It's easier for both of us to understand. But I'm still waiting for the French lessons."

          "I wouldn't put it past you to forget, bella."

          "Then come on in," I said slipping off my bathrobe and stepping into the  warm water. "The water's fine."

          "I'll take your word for it."

                   **_Draco's POV_**

          Bath time took the better part of an hour. Which I really didn't mind, except for the fact that she made us get out and go for lunch.

          "But that was fun," I whispered in her ear as we walked hand in had through our common room. I slid one hand down the small of her back and she shivered. "I know you definitely enjoyed it."

          "I did," she managed to choke out. "But we do have lives."

          "Fine, be that way." I pouted, wanting to see if she could resist. One glance at me and she giggled.

          "Fine, fine," she sighed as her arms found their way around my neck and mine around her waist. "I'll make it up to you later, Draco. I promise."

          "I'll take you up on that, Mia," I replied as I leaned down to kiss those soft, pink lips. 

          "Mia?" she said in between kisses. "Where… Did… Mia… Come… From…"

          "My little nickname for you. Short for _cara mia_. It sounds cute."

          She laughed. "I never, ever, in a million years, thought I'd hear Draco Whatever-You-Middle-Name-Is Malfoy say the word cute."

          "Draco-Francis Quintus Malfoy, for your information. And… well, there you heard me say it."

          "Francis-Quintus? So… _Latin!_"

          We walked through the wall where the portrait had just dissolved.

          "No, it's Draco-Francis. One name. Then Quintus. Because I'm the fifth Draco-Francis from Octavian Malfoy, my great-grandfather about seven times over."

          "Oh, so classy," she joked.

          "Yeah, well, it's less Anglicized than Hermione Bethany-Anne. You sound like the all around British home-girl, Mia."

          "I know, I hate my name, too. Don't rub it in."

          "Then Mia is much better, no?"

          As we walked past, people started staring and pointing and whispering behind their hands. Once we had passed the fifth or sixth group of people doing this I stopped Hermione.

          "Oi, you little gits, what's goin' on? Is there some sort of boil on the back of my head? Or a kick me sign?"

          "N-n-noo, sir, M-m-mist-mist-er Mal-l-fo-fo-foy!" a third year turd managed to sputter.

          "Then clear off!" I yelled down the hall. "THE NEXT PERSON WHO I FIND HAS A STARING PROBLEM WON'T HAVE EYES TO STARE WITH, GOTTIT?"

          "Draco, calm down. I just think word's gotten out," Hermione said quietly. "I just didn't think it would this quickly." 

          "Yeah, it's just the fact that people stare and everything that gets to me, Mia. I mean, I am not an animal put here for show!"

          "Yeah, I guess your right," she replied slowly. We walked the last few feet to the Great Hall and I pulled her aside for a goodbye kiss just in front of the doors. I had leant down, her face in my hands, lavishing her lips in luxury, when I felt a small breeze. Letting her go with a soft goodbye, I walked forward just to stop again. The doors to the dining hall were wide open, all eyes on us.

          "Just great," Mia muttered behind me. "More prying eyes."

          "I know. And I think they just got a show."

          "Well, here goes nothing. _Hasta luego, mi amor_."

          "_Ciao, bella._"

          She walked in a few paces ahead of me and sat in between the Weaselette and one of the Manchester twins. They greeted each other and started talking like nothing happened. I managed to tear my eyes away from her and walked over to my table. I took my seat sandwiched between Crabbe and Goyle. As I sat, Pansy, Millicent and Blaise shot to the opposite bench, obscuring my view of the Gryffin-dork table.

          "Draco, how could you?"

          "Yes, Draco! With a Mudblood!"

          "And a Gryffin-dork!"

          "Oh, your father's going to have a conniption when he hears about this!"

          "And your mother! Poor, Auntie Narcissa!"

          "She'll die from heartbreak!"

          "Oh, will you three shut up? You sound like old, hopeless biddies at work," I snapped. They gasped.

          "Draco!"

          "Oh, go away. You don't run my life you three worthless hens. Now scrub off!"

          "What if we stay? What then? You'll hex us? You'll tell Lucius? You'll get Professor Snape? Well, Draco, those aren't options!" Blaise screamed.

          "The hexing one is, you stupid little bitch. Now get out of my way before I do something I might regret."

          "Then do it, Draco," Pansy sneered, standing up beside Blaise and Millicent. "Do it and never regret it. Remember our training, never regret. No regrets, Draco."

          "Well," I said simply, taking out my wand, "you told me to. _To distraho!_"

          The three of them were blasted away a few feet. They were dazed when they managed to stand again. Millicent tried yelling at me but a zipper appeared over her mouth. Then Pansy tried her luck. A shoed appeared in her large, loud orifice. Then Blaise tried, the stupid girl, and she suddenly started spitting Galleons.

          "Hey, Millicent, zip it! Talk about putting your foot in your mouth, Pansy! And Blaise, remember the phrase put your money where your mouth is?"

          Everyone in the Great Hall erupted into laughter. The three girls ran to the staff table, managing to free their mouths and yelling at Dumbledore to do something.

          "I'm sorry girls. Only Mr. Malfoy can take the spell off. If you try to talk to him in any way shape or form, you will somehow be… Ah, at a loss for words. It seems that Mr. Malfoy has decided to break all associations with you."

          The laughter in Great Hall was even louder.

          "Now, if everyone will please get back to their meals, we can have a full day," Dumbledore said after the hilarity died down, a moping trio of Slytherin girls conversing between themselves.

                   **_Hermione's POV_**

_When you call my name_

_And you need me there_

_Girl you know that_

_I will be waiting for you_

When you close your eyes 

_And you see me there_

_Don't you know that I will be waiting_

          I just fell off my seat in laughter when Draco said the words to the hex. I knew what that curse did. Draco certainly did have a creative mind. I decided to go congratulate him.

          "Hey, Gin, hold my place will you? Just gotta go talk to Draco for a min."

          "Sure, no problem, 'Mione. Just get back quick before Harry and Ron kill you with their stares." She gave me a knowing glance. I just raised my eyebrows.

          I made my way over to the Slytherin table amid the stares of at least 150 people. It felt like forever, but I managed to reach Draco the long way, avoiding Pansy, Blaise and Millicent.

          "_Bonjour, _Mia_. _What's up?" He turned in his seat and gave me a quick peck on the lips. I felt a blush creep to my cheeks.

          "I'm fine,_ mi amor_. Just wanted to applaud you." I gave a small clap against the heel of my palm. "_Congratulacion y yo amo tú, mi amor. Congratulacion._"

          "Run that by me again? In English this time?"

          I laughed. "Congratulations and I love you. Happy?"

          "_Oui, je suis joli. Merci beacoup._"

          "Um, if I knew how to say 'you're welcome' in French, I'd say it. But I better get back to my lunch now. Just yell when you and the team are ready to go, okay?"

          "Sure. You might want to bring a book or something though. I know you're not that interested in Quidditch."

          "I'll survive somehow," I replied with a grin. I kissed him on the cheek and made my way back to where I was sitting before.

          "Hermione, you're so lucky!" Asia gushed when I sat again. "I mean, Draco Malfoy! How to die for!"

          "Yeah, I think I am going to die for him today," I remarked wryly. "He asked me to sit in on the Quidditch practice. You know how much I hate Quidditch."

          "It can't be that bad. I mean, look what Draco's wearing: a white muscle shirt. And you know what happens to white when it gets sweaty, girls!" Sueyeng said in a loud, sing-song voice.

          "It goes see-through!" all the girls around us cried as reply. I just laughed at the looks all the other tables were giving us.

          "I swear, you guys are so… Hey!" I said, realizing something. "That's my boyfriend your talking about!" We all erupted in a fit of giggles.

          Lunch went on uneventfully unless you call Ron and I exchanging dirty looks and me silently casting the _Distraho_ charm on the three girls myself eventful.

          "Mia! Let's go!"

          I stood up. "I'm off then, girls!"

          "Mia? Did he just call you Mia?"

          "Yeah," I replied, wiping my mouth with my napkin and pulling on his sweater over my thin, silver velvet jacket. "I'll explain later. _Hasta luego, amigas!_"

          "C'mon, Mia! Let's go! We're waiting!"

          "I'm coming, Draco!" I said as I sprinted across the front of the Hall, stopping to catch my breath when he had his arm wrapped firmly around my waist.

          "So, you ever learn to fly, Mia?"

          "Uh-oh," I said aloud. "Don't even think about it, Draco. I'm not good on brooms, you know that."

          "Oh, don't be such a wet blanket, Mia!"

          "Draco!" I whined, trying to get my point across with as little words as possible as the remainder of the Quidditch team was surrounding us. They were lacking two players as they had managed to graduate last year. Draco, upon being made captain, was now responsible for filling the slots for two missing Chasers.

          "Just come up with me for a practice lap around the pitch once or twice, babe! It's not so bad when you get used to it."

          "Draco, no. Please?"

          "I won't go very high, Mia. Please? Do this for me, okay?" He pouted and I couldn't resist. I saw that I wasn't going to win this battle any time soon, anyways. I sighed.

          "Okay, fine. Just promise me you won't do anything… Too daring."

          "I promise, Mia." And he turned his head away from me for a moment to address the team. "Okay, everyone! Three laps clockwise and then three counter-clockwise around the pitch for warm-up!"

          Everyone lined up, brooms levitating before them.

          "Mount your brooms!"

          They mounted their brooms.

          "FLY!"

          They flew. I giggled at the fact that they all acted like Pavlov's dogs. Of more like Malfoy's.

          "Coming, Mia?" Draco's deep, masculine voice brought me out of my reverie.

          "Uh, yeah," I replied shakily. "Draco, are you sure about this?"

          He pulled me into an embrace then as me on the broom, arms still around me, holding on to the broom itself. I grasped his hands.

          "Yep. Let's go!" I felt him tap the broom with his foot and we shot up. I stifled a scream and he apologized for the quick start.

          "Sorry, Mia." He kept us hovering in the air while I calmed down and then he steered us around the pitch, gradually adding to the speed until it all just felt natural to be sitting here in his arms, whizzing away. The time seemed to go by too quickly.

          "Okay, everybody down!"

          They all landed gracefully, even Crabbe and Goyle. I tried to stifle another giggle as I stood and walked over to the stands, sitting at the highest seat in the Slytherin box.

          Draco commandeered the team effortlessly, like he was born for the job. An hour and a half into the practice he suddenly got frustrated and threw his sweat-soaked shirt on the ground. I ran down the stands worriedly.

          "Draco?" I called, running over to him and massaging his shoulders.

          "Thanks, babe," he whispered, rolling his head, trying to loosen the muscles in his neck. "Crabbe, Goyle, you idiots! I said try to visualize the opponent trailing our teammates, not visualize our opponents _as_ the teammates! I swear, I don't understand how you managed to get this far for being so damned dense!"

          "Er, sorry," they managed to sputter lamely.

          "Sorry doesn't cut it! Just… Just try and act like you understand next time! Okay, practice over! We meet Wednesday night for tryouts for our new Chasers! Now clear off!"

          "You okay?" I asked timidly, trying to calm him down enough to not break something.

          "Yeah, just a little frustrated at those two idiots," he replied, dropping his gloves and broom on top of his shirt. He pulled me against his body, kissing me softly, almost in askance. His lips were soft, tender, tired. I sucked on his bottom lip and I heard him groan. I stopped and pulled away.

          "Feel better yet?" I teased, jumping up and locking my legs around his waist so I could gain more height.

          "Maybe one more," he said, grinning. "You know, just to make sure."

          I leant forward and gave him another kiss, this one less chaste and more passionate, my tongue making its cameo.

          "Hey, you two! Get a room!"

          I pulled away and tried dropping my feet but Draco suddenly wouldn't let go. I hissed at him but his head was turned at our heckler. Ron.

          "How about getting a girlfriend before you give out relationship advice, Weasley? It might do you some good!"

          "Weasley, just leave us alone," I called as the whole Gryffindor team approached. "Hey, Ginny! Hey, Harry!"

          I waved at the rest of the Gryffindor team as they came.

          "Draco, if you'd let me down now…"

          "Oh, sorry, Mia. My fault." He gave me a quick kiss and set me down, picking up his things as he bent over. "Potter, Ms. Weasley. Come for practice?"

          "Yeah," Harry said. I was amazed. The two of them were acting civil! "We're short a Chaser and a Keeper."

          "Thought you had a Keeper," Draco ground out, trying his hardest. I placed my hand in his and squeezed.

          "Well, we've been doing some shifting around," Harry said evenly. "But, no mean to be rude or anything, but we've got a practice to attend. See you later?"

          Harry stared at both of us expectantly, I nodded along with Draco. I let go of his hand and gave Harry a quick hug.

          "Thanks for being okay with all this, Harry," I whispered before going back to where Draco was standing, broom, gloves and shirt in hand.

          "No problem, 'Mione. Later."

          We gave our goodbyes and left, heading straight for our tower. I leaned on him while we walked.

          "Eugh. You stink, Draco."

          "Well, sweat, dirt and Weasly don't exactly mix," he replied with a grin, pulling me closer as I tried to move back. I we fussed for fun all the way to the doors.

          "Draco, put on your shirt," I said suddenly. "I want you to myself, no sharing."

          "Greedy, now are we, Mia?"

          I smiled smugly up at him. "Very."

                   **_Draco's POV_**

          After a quick shower, I slid down my banister and jumped on the couch where Mia was studying intently.

          "You're not going to repeat yesterday, are you?" she asked without setting down her book ('Numerus Venenum Liber Libri: Volume I').

          "I will if I have to," I said, pulling the offending text out of her hands and throwing it on the floor.

          "Hey! I was reading that!"

          "Whoops…" I whispered carelessly, almost re-creating the scene from yesterday. She backed away, retrieving her book in the process.

          "Draco, _caro_, no! I was researching our Potions project!"

          "But I'm feeling a bit randy, Mia!" I whined.

          "Yeah, too bad. Now either grab a book," she pointed at the stack on the table, "or go take a cold shower!"

          I sighed and bent over to grab the book on the top stack. _Numerus Venenum Liber Libri: Volume II_.

          "So, refresh my memory, _cara mia_," I said, flipping open the cover and skimming the table of contents. "We're doing the Mind-Body-Spirit Binding Potion and the _Odore Scoprire_ Potion, right?"

          "If by odour Scope-rear you mean Aura Potion, then yes." I laughed out loud.

          "Scope-rear? Is that a word?"

          "No clue." She grinned cockily, winking at me.

          "Well, it's _Odore Scoprire_, Miss Supposed-To-Know-Everything-Granger. The Aura Reveal Potion. Some Italian guy by the name of… Crap, can't remember his name… Something like… Grendadyer DiMilo."

          "Shut up, Malfoy," she said in mock-disgust.

          "Oh, that hurts, Mia" I said, rolling my eyes.

          "Okay, okay, relax, Draco. Anyways, which one do you want to research? I mean, there is two, so we could take one each."

          "Yeah, it's up to you, Mia. I don't really care about what that overgrown bat from Hell says, anyways."

          She just giggled and went back to her research, quill on parchment being heard every few minutes. I joined in the research, starting on the _Odore Scoprire_ potion.

          'Odore Scoprire_:__ Commonly known as the Aura Revelation Potion, Odore Scoprire was first discovered by Greeks in ancient mythology, depicted as halos on the pictures of their gods. Fully developed by the Italian Grenadier DiMiMichi, the Odore Scoprire is used to show and share emotions between the two people who ingest the potion._

            _'Originally known to just show when the bonded partner is feeling emotions towards or about their significant other, DiMiMichi improved it to show the array of emotion the partner is feeling at one significant time when the other wants to view. The collection of colours and shades reflects on the emotion, playing on old Muggle colloquialisms: red for anger, blue for jealously, green for envy, violet for tranquility, yellow for happiness, pink for elation, orange for absolute ecstasy or delight. The two abstracts, white and black, can only be seen if the bond between the two people is originally strong, black and shades of grey showing depression, sadness, and confusion. The shade white can only be seen when the two people are meant to be, or, mythically, soulmates._'

          "Interesting," I intoned, hand whizzing over parchment involuntarily.

          "What is, _caro_?" She looked up from her notes, elegant black eagle feather quill slipping across the parchment, leaving a long, baby blue ink line in it's wake. Wait… Baby blue?

          "No, nothing," I said quickly to cover my curiosity over her current choice of ink. "I was just looking up something about the _Odore Scoprire_ potion. Says here that the only shade of colour that you can't see is white because it's only meant for soulmates. Interesting, neh?"

          Mia's eyes flashed quickly, just long enough for me to catch what was going through her mind: longing. I looked at her tenderly and understood fully. She was wishing that she'd meet her someone, her meant to be, her soulmate. Hell, I was too; who wasn't? But what I really wanted was, I know it sounds foolish, but I wanted my soulmate to be her. She was everything I wanted, and more. At first I thought it was just teenage hormones running amok, but… Well, I wanted to be the one to hold her when the sun refused to shine. I wanted to be the one who'd love her like never before. I wanted to be the one waiting for her. Little did I know that she was thinking along the same lines.

                   **_Hermione's POV_**

_I wanna kiss you like I'll never kiss you again_

_If it's okay_

_I can't imagine loving any other this way_

          I wanted to ask him so badly. I wanted to ask him everything and nothing. I wanted to ask him if…

          (Darling, do think out what you want to say before you say it, please.)

          _I haven't said a thing!_

          (Well, try to un-muddle your thoughts a touch, at least.)

          I looked up at Draco to find him looking at me with softened features. He dropped the quill, parchment and book to the floor, leaving his lap empty. I wanted so badly to just crawl into his lap and never have to get up and leave the comfort, the security, of his embrace.

          "Come here, Mia," he said softly, as if reading my mind, giving me permission. I hesitated for a second then made my way over to his lap.

          "Don't think about it now, Mia… It'll happen when it happens. It doesn't matter what, I'll still love you."

          It was like he was reading my mind. Then it hit me. Did he just say…?

          "Draco?"

          "Yeah, Mia?"

          "Did you just… Did you just say that you…" she swallowed. "That you love me?"

          He stopped, literally. I felt him hold his breath, exhale, then repeat the process.

          "Yeah, you know, Mia? I really reckon I do."

          I turned to look at him in the eye. His usually hard, stormy eyes held nothing but soft almost tangible tenderness in a shade that was indescribable.

          He leaned down to kiss me and I closed my eyes, waiting for the flurry of passion that usually came. But no. this was different. This wasn't the torrent of emotions that I usually pleasantly assaulted with. This was almost like a gentle breeze during a summer night in France, right after the wine season has finished its peak.

          I felt him caress my cheek and whisper the name he had given me.

          "Oh, Mia… What would I ever do without you?" he leaned down again, the same tenderness and more flooding through our bodies, the urgency of passion returning slowly.

          He pushed me down so I was laying on the couch, him on top of me, leaning on an elbow so as not to flatten me with his weight. He pulled away, panting for breath, and surveyed my flushed face, which made me flush even more. I felt the fingers of his free hand trace my cheek, along my cheekbone and then my lips. Their trail left tails of fire running along the contours. Then I felt a tug of a lock of hair.

          "You know, Mia, I sorta miss your curly hair…"

          "What? So you can tease the hell out of me about it?" I asked in mock-hurt, opening my eyes and 'accidentally' licking his hand.

          "It's for me to know, darling…"

          We resumed our activities until I felt a sharp, cold gust of wind sweep over me. I paid little mind as my shirt and bra were off, leaving me in all my half-naked glory.

          "_Ahem_."

          I sat up, pushing Draco up into a kneeling position in between my knees.

          "_Professor Dumbledore!_" I managed to squeak as I glanced around, looking for my white peasant top, strapless bra and Draco's green sweater. As I hugged them to my chest, I felt like crying into Draco's arms, which were now wrapped around me, trying to cover me as much as they could.

          He was standing against one of the side doors, the one that lead straight to his office. I could see the twinkle in his eye and the obvious smirk on his face. Ohh, how much I wanted to wipe that smirk off the old man so badly that moment…

          "Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy," he said with a nod. "If you two will be so kind as to step into my office for a moment." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

          "Uhh, yes, sir," I replied shakily.

          "Yes, sir. As soon as we make ourselves presentable."

          I looked at Draco with a horrified expression on my face. _Had he just said…? How could he!_ I was mortified. But then I saw the defiance in his eyes and I calmed a bit. _Little prat_, I thought, grinning.

          "As soon as possible, if you can." Then the headmaster disappeared through his door.

          "I could kill that wizard," I seethed through gritted teeth, dropping the shirts and shrugging myself into the white cotton bra. "What right does he have to barge in without knocking? We do need our privacy, even if we are about a few centuries younger than him!"

          "Yeah, well, it's Dumbledore. You won't hate him forever."

          "I suppose," I agreed, pulling myself into my top then the heavy sweater. "C'mon. Let's go. He _is_ waiting."

          We walked over to the eastern wall, opening the heavy mahogany door and stepped through, immediately stepping into the Headmaster's office even though the inside of each door looked black.

          "Professor," I said curtly, nodding my head and sitting in the chair furthest from him, Draco following suit in the chair next.

          "Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy," he replied. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything?" he looked expectantly as we shook out heads. "Very well. Sour Patch Kid?"

          "Thank you," I said picking up about six in my hand. Draco just shook his head and muttered a quiet 'no, thank you.' I popped an orange one in my mouth and sucked on it before chewing.

          "Now, I'm sure you both well know that we've left it up to you to handle most of the going on's here this year. I'm sorry I haven't been able to talk with you earlier, but I'd now like to hear if you've thought of anything special or new."

          I smirked as Draco looked at me and I gently placed a green sour candy into my mouth, chewing it methodically. I knew Draco was panicking. He hadn't done much to do with his Head duties at all. But I was prepared, not to worry.

          "Yes, Professor, we've thought about it." I felt Draco's stare. "We were thinking, since the Governor's Board has changed the curriculum to make it as challenging for our students as possible, we should have a few special events taking place throughout the year, more than usual. We were thinking along the lines a dance for the older students once a month and a whole school activity or event."

          "Interesting. And may I ask, why?"

          "If I may ask in turn, sir, with all due respect of course," Draco said, "Why what?"

          "Why would you want to do these activities? We could always just go on as we've done."

          "Well sir," we both started in unison. We glanced at each other. His stare told me '_I'll do it. Let me so I don't seem totally useless_.' I hushed myself and waited, ready to correct him when the chance arose.

          "Well, sir," he repeated without me, "Hermione and I were thinking of these activities as something to look forward to, almost as a reward to all the hard work they've achieved. We've even thought as to only let those students who are doing well in their studies, say at least 70 percent, participate. With given permission, of course.

          "We see these activities as rewards and opportunities to get to know more people from other houses. Something like finding new friends, rediscovering old ones and, hopefully, discovering ones' self."

          _Amazing_, I thought, obviously impressed and delighted at the fact that that he was oh so adept at spinning believable, convincing lies than I was.

          (Oh, darling! He's so smart!)

          "Very good, Mister Malfoy." Dumbledore then looked at both of us, his eyes twinkling madly. I held back the urge to conjure up a vat of eye drops and submerge his whole head in them, beard and all. "Now, I presume that you've written some of these ideas down?"

          _Oh holy fucking bloody shitty hell_, I thought. _Now what am I going to do?_

          (Just nod your head and repeat after me, Hermione, dear.) I nodded my head.

          (If you'll hold on a moment, Headmaster,)

          "If you'll hold on a moment, Headmaster,"

          (I'll just go grab them from my office desk.)

          "I'll just go grab them from my office desk."

          "Very well, Miss Granger."

          _Thank you_, I told my evil ego.

          (No problem. Remember, Whenever you get in trouble, I do, too.)

          I got up and went through the doorway again, appearing in the common room in a few short seconds. I crossed the room to the west side of the wall where the stairs were that led to my bedroom. I stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked for the portrait of myself. I stopped in front of it when I found it.

          "Having fun?" I asked my painted doppelganger.

          "Well, you haven't come to work for the past few days," she replied with a shrug. I returned it.

          "Been busy."

          "Right. Draco and I have seen you and Draco at it on the couch. So don't lie. And, plus, we've gotten together ourselves." I, er, she looked smug.

          "Just let me in, will you? They're waiting for me."

          "Gods, I'm not dim. I'm you. Password, of course."

          "Gods… _'Bethany-Anne'_. Happy?"

          "Yes, very." And with that she stood, exited the picture and it swung open away from me. I stepped in behind it, looking at my neat little office.

          "Okay," I breathed aloud. "What do I do next?"

          (Chill out, girly. Go grab those pre-measured sheets of parchment, just three.) I did as I told myself. (Now, lay them one on the other on the desk,) Done… (And now wave your wand and repeat after me: '_Commusmo mei mens mentis in te_'.)

          "Of course! Why hadn't I thought of that!" I smacked myself on my forehead then composed myself. I laid the thin stack neatly on my desk and placed the tip of my wand on it. "_Commusmo mei mens mentis in te!"_

          The sheets changed bright white, somewhat like regular muggle 8.5" by 11" bond paper sheets, then returned to their normal state. God love the witch who came up with the 'Perfection On Paper' spell.

          I grabbed the sheets then ran out my portrait hole, giving a hasty goodbye to myself in the picture frame. I sprinted to the door on the opposite end of the room and stopped in front of the door. I didn't want to show that I was panting so I calmed my breathing. I took one last breath, hoping that this stupid scheme of mine would work, and I stepped into the darkness to be received into light.

                   **_Draco's POV_**

_When you call my name_

_And you need me there_

_Girl you know that_

_I will be waiting for you_

When you close your eyes 

_And you see me there_

Don't you know that I will be waiting 

          I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. I hated being alone with this man. I didn't necessarily like him but I knew that the feels were returned… In opposite. I used to be politically against him, I was able to standup to him, never feel… Like _this_. But it all seemed to change. _Hermione, where are you?_

          I opened my mouth to speak. But what was I going to say? Nice weather, Professor! Oh yeah, so sophisticated! He save me that problem.

          "So, Mister Malfoy, how are you and Miss Granger getting along?" Surely this man couldn't be _that_ dense! I mean, it was common knowledge in the school that we were dating. Hermione and I had even walked in on some of the teachers gossiping about it in the staff room one evening!

          "Quite well, sir. The living quarters are also quite, um, pleasant," I finished lamely. I needed to catch myself. "On both mine and Mia, er, um, Miss Granger's behalf we thank you for giving us this extremely wonderful chance."

          "Thank yourselves, Mister Malfoy. You both deserved it." He gave me a meaningful, knowing look. The he whispered something.

          "You deserve each other." I could swear that was what he said.

          As I opened my mouth to say something, Mia stepped in with a small sheaf of parchment.

          "Here, I have them!"

          "There you are, Miss Granger!"

          _Thank you, Mia!_ I silently praised. She handed us each a clean looking sheet of parchment. I looked at her with a bemused expression. She just looked like she found the potion for immortality. 

          "Mia," I hissed, "these parchments are empty!"

          "Chill, Draco," she hissed back the turned her full attention to our host. "Now, Professor, I've charmed these papers to show the ideas as we discuss them, so that we may make changes when needed. Now, first order of business, this month."

          She looked down at her parchment casually. I did too, to find out what she was looking at. Out of nowhere her scrawl was now rapidly appearing starting with the main heading: 'Activities & Events For The Coming Year'. Underneath by about two lines the a sub-heading 'For October:'. Yet, underneath _that_ were three points separated by an amount of substantial note-taking space that read 'Fifth-years & up dance', 'School scavenger hunt', and 'Halloween festivities'. Mia launched right into her explanations.

          "We were originally thinking that we'd have these all done on Halloween or something. But then We realized that it would all quashed into one time frame. So with the dance, we wanted that to be on Halloween, in the evening." The bullet containing the dance then disappeared from its place on the paper and placed itself underneath the 'Halloween festivities' point, as an indented sub-point. Then the contents moved themselves up, 'School scavenger hunt' now taking the first place.

          "And with the school scavenger hunt we thought we'd start it soon, something like next week, since that is the first full week of October. What would happen is that we'll make up four lists of items, one for each house. As each week ends, the lists will automatically tally whose found what and shorten the list. Once that has finished, we'll add ten new items on the list. Then, on the Halloween Feast, we shall announce the winning house."

          "Excellent. Now, for the prize. I'm sure I cannot expect the students to take 'a job well done' to heart as their prize." He looked at me with a gentle smile. I grinned back at him.

          "Well, we were thinking that the staff could come up with something, sir," I replied, knowing that Mia was going to have a hard time trying to answer that one.

          "Well, very good then. We'll begin discussion on the rest of the year later. Thank you for your presence on such short notice." Dumbledore nodded his head and we stood, bidding him a good evening and heading through the door back to our room.

          "Amazing, Mia," I said as I stepped through the door after her.

          "Thank you, darling," she replied saucily over her shoulder and winking. I growled. She giggled. I took four long strides and reached her, spinning her around so that she fell into my open arms.

          "Oh, thank you my _manly man_," she said, rolling her eyes and righting herself. "I'm going to dinner. You coming?"

          "What?" I asked, confused. I looked across the room at one of the many clocks. It read 6:00, the small hand reading 'Dinnertime'. "Already?"

          "Yeah," she said, looking around the area we occupied earlier for something.

          "Whatcha looking for, Mia?" I asked as I draped myself over an armchair.

          "Jewelry," she answered simply. "Gotta look good if I'm going to make a public appearance."

          "Ew, so superficial. You're starting to sound like Lockhart. Hopeless, really."

          "Shut up."

          "You."

          "No. You."

          "No. You."

          "No. Yo- Wait! I found them!"

          I just laughed as she bent over to a glass coffee table, picking up some silver pieces.

          "Damnit," she swore softly. "_Accio_ glasses!"

          A thin tube came flying out of nowhere. She caught it and I watched, interested. The light teal opaque case as then opened to reveal a pair of twig-small glasses with barely bigger frames. She unfolded the arms and perched the glasses upon her nose.

          "Do you know how sexy you look, Mia? In an intelligent, sexy, smart, sexy way."

          "Thank you, Draco." She was still bent over the small table, examining her jewelry for some reason.

          "What's wrong?"

          "Need new pieces. My old platinum and silver is getting dirt. And two of my sapphires fell out of one of my pieces."

          "Hmm. Now that's a problem."

          "Definitely. And these sapphire crowned silver pieces were from my parents on my seventeenth birthday."

          "Sapphire? When you birthday?"

          "September. Last month. Why?"

          "Oh." I felt bad. I had just passed her birthday without incident. "When? I mean, what day?"

          "Nineteenth."

          "Right then." Now I felt like plain shit. I needed to make it up to her.

          I saw her straighten up and conjure a mirror in front of her. She placed a simple small, silver band on her middle finger, put on a set of earrings and then placed her hand longingly at her neck, I suppose where the necklace should've been. She fingered her glasses then left them in place. She looked at me as the mirror disappeared.

          "Ready?"

          "I was born ready, Mia," I replied, standing up. "If you want, we can go to the jewelers next week. It's a Hogsmede weekend."

          "Sure. I just don't know if four hundred Galleons would cover up repairs and some new pieces."

          "Don't worry about it until then, babe. Just think about now." I walked over to her and placed my arm over her shoulder. She reached up and grasped my hand and then, with her other, grasped my free one. We walked out to face the world.

                   **_Harry's POV_**

          "Malfoy was being very civil, Ron!"

          "Yeah, Gin. Let's just forget all those years of torment he caused us. And the way he took Hermione from me." Ron rolled his eyes. Ginny grasped my hand harder under the table and gave me a pleading look.

          "Ron, I respect her decision. Whatever makes her happy." I decided not to point out that Hermione wasn't an object to be played with or fought over.

          "Stuff it, Harry. You liked her, too. You wanted Hermione as much as I did."

          "I hear my name!"

          I turned to see Hermione at the doors, tangled in Malfoy's arms.

          Ginny let go of my hand and jumped up, waving her over.

          "'Mione! Over here!"

          Hermione gave Malfoy a kiss and jogged over to us, slipping in the seat next to Ginny. My heart gave a small tug, like being pulled into my stomach. Suddenly, the shepherd's pie didn't look all that appetizing. But I shoved in a mouthful before waving hi.

          _Remember, Ginny's your girlfriend. You gave up Hermione when you found out Ron was in for her. She's nothing but your sister and best friend now._ I sighed.

          "Hey, 'Mione," I said after swallowing exceptionally hard. I noticed she was wearing a minute pair glasses. Then she grinned at me and I came back to reality.

          "Hey, Harry! Hey Gin-And-Tonic!" The two girls giggled madly at the quick nickname for Ginny. I felt there was some sort of hidden meaning to that. I lifted my right hand to rest on the table, staring at the small heart-shaped scar with an 'H' in the middle. Hermione looked at me for a second then looked below the table.

          "Okay! What's with the Q-U-I-E-T? I mean, like, talk!"

          "Sorry, Ginseng," Hermione said, looking  up again and sticking her tongue out at the girl. "I'm just tired. Studying all afternoon after Draco's Quidditch practice."

          "Studying what?" Ginny asked, amusement in her voice, smirk on her face and eyebrows up a mile high.

          "Oh, stuff and the rot. Potions, Anatomy…"

          "Anatomy?" Ginny and I looked at her, confused, as I voiced myself.

          A look of comprehension then dawned on Ginny's face. "_Ohh!_"

          A smug look crossed Hermione's face. She then looked away and piled her plate high with food.

          "Anyways, you guys will love what we've got planned! It's going to be _so_ much fun!"

          "Please let mention the word 'dance' and 'monthly' in the same sentence!"

          "Does it have to be in that order, Gin? I'd hate to tell you that we're going to be having a monthly dance."

          "Yes!" Ginny squealed, jumping up. The whole hall went quiet as eyes stared at us.

          "Er, sorry everyone. Go back to your dinners…" Ginny seated herself and cowered into my chest.

          "Don't worry, Gin," I whispered into her hair.

          "I'm an ass."

          "No, you're not."

          "Hey, Mia! What's going on?" I heard Malfoy's honey-dipped voice come from behind. Hermione was twisted in her seat, giggling.

          "Nothing, _caro_. Just eating dinner with a little bit of excitement."

          "Without me?" He fake pouted.

          "Yes, darling, without you. I can't believe I'm dating the biggest, conceited git in the school!"

          "Be proud, _ma cherie_," He answered. He dipped down, kissed her and whispered a few words in her ear. As Hermione giggled, he bade her goodbye, traveling across the hall and resuming his seat.

          "What do you see in him, Hermione?" Ron spat, talking to properly her for the first time since the day before.

          "Everything I didn't see in you," she hissed dangerously. "Ugh. I hate to waste all this food, but I think I just lost my appetite. If anyone needs me, I'm in the library."

          She stood up, the little dark blue stones glittering against their platinum captives in her ears. She walked off, head high, throwing a dirty look at Ron before heading off.

          "Ron, you great, stupid prat!" Ginny yelled.

          "Keep your voice down, stupid! Gods, she deserved it!" He threw up his hands then looked at me expectantly. "Well, aren't you going to say something?"

          "No," I replied simply. I was sick of this, sick of being in the middle of their everything, when I wanted to be the one with Hermione on my arm. I couldn't help it, but I was jealous of Ron _and_ Malfoy!

          "A-fucking-mazing! Just fan-fucking-tastic!"

          "Watch your language, Ron," Ginny said quietly.

          "Fuck the language thing, Gin! I mean, MY LIFE IS RUINED, if you can so plainly see! I lost my girlfriend to a ferret and now I've lost my best friend! How would you react?"

          "I'd leave," she said angrily, slamming her napkin down on the table as she stood up. "And that's exactly what I'm going to do now. Just remember, Ron, when everything in your life is gone, you'll have nothing to lose: no friends, no family, no one who cares about you."

          She up and left as dramatically as Hermione had done, the large doors making a thunderous sound as she exited the now quiet hall. Ron looked at me again, this time sourly.

          "Well? Should I say something or can you make your dramatic exit all by yourself?"

          "I think you just said it, Ron," I retorted, shoving my plate away and running after my best friend and my girlfriend. "Just remember what Ginny said."

          As I jogged to the doors, I stopped at the Slytherin table and looked at Malfoy pointedly.

          "You coming or what?"

          He just nodded, placed his napkin on the table and stood.

          "You know, you can eat during the dinner show," he called out loud to everyone in the hall. The he turned on his heel and followed me out.

          As we walked down the hall to the library, I couldn't help but feel extremely empty. I had this feeling that I had just walked out of Ron's life for awhile. I couldn't help but feel that I had just walked out of my old life into something totally new. And I didn't like it, not one bit.

                   **_Draco's POV_**

_So what you wanna do_

_I wanna be with you_

_I know that you like my style_

_So why don't you stay a while_

_And when you want me to_

_I'll wait for you…_

          I had watched the whole scene play out. I was tempted to go after Hermione, but then I realized that she'd have hexed my to oblivion and back if I followed her right away. But when Potter came, I knew I had to go. Potter and I ran down the halls, towards the library.

          "Why didn't you go after Hermione right away?"

          "Because, you of all people should know her. Mia would've hexed me into hell with her current temper."

          "Yeah, I guess you're right."

          Once we reached the library, I started sprinting to the back, oblivious of Madame Pince's yells. I knew where Mia hid at times like these. God only knows how many times I had found her there, crying, just so I could humiliate her for my own personal benefit.

          I found her and the Weasley girl there. The red-head was cowered in a chair while Mia was throwing anything and everything in her grasp.

          "Mia! Mia, calm down!"

          She wasn't listening to me. Her eyes were fire, as mine were ice. I understood. I placed my wand tip on my chest and said three simple words: '_Lingua per flamma_'.

          "Mia? Mia! _Aquietar, _Mia_! Escuchar!_" 

          She stopped and looked at me.

          "Draco?_ L'español? Non!_"

          "_Si, cara. Aquietar. Acercarse._"

          I sighed as she dropped the vase she was holding and she walked, mesmerized, to me. '_Lingua per plebs plebis_'.

          "Mia, are you okay…?"

          "_Si, caro. Solamente frustrado…_"

          _Shit… I can't understand her…_

          "Shhh, it's okay now…"

          "_Non. Tu falso…_"

          "Mia, darling, English. Remember our promise?" I whispered, holding her close as she cried.

          "_Non… Non hablas inglés…_"

          "Yes, you do, darling… Deep breath…"

          She took a deep breath and swallowed. "Draco…?"

          "Yeah, darling? You're fine now…"

          "No, I told you already. I'm not. Nothing's fine, look what I've done…"

          I properly surveyed the little area for the first time. Books were scattered and littered everywhere, pages torn, covers ripped. Porcelain, glass and ceramic lay on the thick carpeting, almost as if it was new flooring in an odd pattern. Ashes, embers and logs from the fireplace decorated the walls, floor and ceiling like snow. I turned my attention back to her. She had her hands placed flat on my chest but the palm of her left was open.

          "See this?" she said, motioning to s small scar in the centre. It was a heart with a small 'H'.

          "Yeah. What about it?"

          "Two summers ago, when Sirius died, Harry was devastated. There's this Muggle ritual where two people make small cuts in themselves and press the wounds together, blood siblings, sharing the same blood. This is mine and Harry's. I suggested it because I wanted Harry to know that I'd always be there, no matter what.

          "But after we did it, I read that there was some actual magic behind that. So now me and Harry have been bonded together for better or for worse, through thick and thin. It almost acts as our own personal dark marks."

          "'Blood is thicker than water…'" I replied absently, wondering who exactly the hell Sirius was.

          "Yeah. Exactly."

          I don't know how we ended up on the floor or how long we had been there, but Potter came over to us and gave us a reality check.

          "Hey, are you two okay?"

          I looked up at him then down at Hermione. She was sleeping.

          "I am. Now really sure about her, though." I lifted her up in my arms and she stirred then rested her head on my shoulder, arms snaking around my neck.

          "What about the other one?" I asked as I walked to the exit with Potter. Pince was gone, a note left in her place, telling Mia to turn everything off and to lock the door.

          "Who, Ginny? I already took her back to her room."

          "Right then."

          We walked in silence as we approached my portrait. Once we were there, I turned to him, trying not to jostle Mia.

          "Thanks, Potter."

          He just nodded and walked off, but not before planting a small kiss on the back of Mia's head.


	7. Barenaked

Only Fools Rush In

***Disclaimer –** I *do not* own anything except my original characters, my story and plot lines and my scenarios, even though they've probably been used, mauled and distorted before. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!!! And, also, please don't sue me for any of the copyrighted things in here (like music and songs) unless they're my own or if I added or changed a line, that line is MINE!. [Scratches head sheepishly.] **Okay! Enjoy!* {I mean, really, c'mon, _I_ were JKR, would I be posting these on this site?}**

**            Chapter 7 – Barenaked: Sweet Surrender**

**                        _Hermione's POV_**

          Once I woke up and remembered the night before, I carefully untangled myself from Draco's arms and left him sleeping in his bed. I ran through the bathroom to my room, locking it with six different locking charms and about eight more silencing spells.

          I threw myself on the bed and sobbed. My entire world was breaking into as many pieces as I had broken that Ming vase into last night. All because I wanted to show everyone who I really was. Maybe it was just a totally stupid idea.

          "What was I thinking?" I sobbed out loud. "Just because I was being selfish!"

          I needed music to calm me down. I grabbed my wand and pointed it at my stereo system on top of the large dresser, not thinking of any song in particular. Jennifer Love Hewitt's song 'Barenaked' came on.

          "This is too happy," I muttered, pointing my wand at the stupid enchanted electronic, trying to get it to change. It wouldn't.

_Do you ever have that dream_

_Where you're walking naked down the street_

_And everyone just stares_

_Do you ever feel so deep_

_That you speak your mind_

_To put others straight to sleep_

_You wonder if anybody cares_

_Sometimes I think I'm the only one_

Whose day turned out unlike it had begun 

          "Now I know why that stupid thing won't change. It's so true…"

          I crawled into my bed and listened as the song played. What had triggered me to act how I did? I usually was levelheaded, cool tempered…

          (Yeah, ten months of the year.)

          _What?_

          (Ten months of the year, while you're here. You act all… Perfect. Don't lie.)

          _You're right_, I though as I sighed. Every agonizing year that I had been here I was a fraud. When I was at home, well, that was a different story. I was totally opposite, worse than myself now. Then it hit me.

          I threw off my covers and headed straight for my desk. I inserted the tip of my wand into the locked drawer and it sprang out, making me jump. I pulled out a king sized pack of DuMaurier cigarettes and a gold plated lighter.

          "Sweet surrender," I muttered, shaking. I transfigured an ink pot into an ashtray and tapped the cellophane-wrapped package, upside down, against my trembling wrist to pack in the tobacco. I unwrapped it, disposing of the clear-wrap, and pushed the contents up from its outer captive. With trembling hands, I gently tore off the perforated foil and thirteen brand new, untouched cigarettes gleamed, practically asking me to smoke them one-by-one, in quick succession.

          _I will_, I silently promised all twenty-five cigarettes, taking out the odd one and numbly placing it between my lips as I replaced it properly and threw the rest of the pack on my bedspread, picking up my golden lighter. I turned it over in my hands, re-acquainting myself with it as I sucked the cigarette in my mouth.

          I took a deep breath through my nose and I flipped open the bright yellow lid. A flame shot up and I placed my hand around it out of habit, although there was no breeze in the room. I leaned forward, hair curtaining my face, as I lit the cancer stick. I puffed my first puff in two months. It was heaven. I threw my hair back and fell back on my bed, grateful to Missa for sending a whole carton of ciggies by owl as a back to school present.

          As I puffed out, the familiar, comforting smell of burning tobacco reached my nose and a small cloud surrounded me before dissipating. I sadly grinned and continued with my revelations as well as with my smoke.

          "Gods, why did I play this game with myself?"

          (Because.)

          "Because isn't a fucking answer!" I yelled at myself.

          (Then _you_ tell me why you play this game of cat-and-mouse with yourself.) The devilette crossed her arms in a triumphant manner. I blew smoke over my shoulder to where she was situated then ashed the cigarette in the ashtray, neé ink pot.

          _I have a way overactive imagination_, I told myself.

          I crawled up and sat against the headboard, pulling my pack, my lighter and ashtray with me.

          "Why didn't I just shrug off Ron last night?" I asked my cigarette. "Why did I let him get to me?"

          It never answered. It just let my questions mingle with the smoke it emitted. I sighed and looked down at my hand once more. I placed my silent companion back in my mouth and traced the thumbnail sized scar in the centre of my palm. I felt the tears well up again, but I never realized when they fell, only becoming conscious when they started making a puddle in my hand.

          "Gods, Harry," I whispered shakily through the tears. "What have I done to you?"

          I remembered the day perfectly. It was mid-July, just after fifth year, exactly one week until his birthday and we were at the Dursley home. I had managed to pass myself off as a Muggle friend Harry had met at the train station at the beginning of and end of the year. They were too dim to realize that I was one of the people who confronted them just two weeks before.

          We sat in his room talking about anything and everything. He talked about growing up and then finding out about his true heritage. I talked about the same thing. He told me things I never thought would ever happen to him, Dudley using him as his human punching bag, the misfortune of his 'home' life.

          'This isn't my home, 'Mione,' he had told me. 'Hogwarts is. Wherever you are, that's where my home will be.'

          I told him about all the things in my life, my parents never really being around because of the dental business, growing up surrounded my a world of my own because I was an only child.

          'Mum and Dad told me that the older I got, the more responsible I had to be,' I divulged to him. 'I knew it just meant that they'd be around less. I had to grow up.'

          We told each other secrets that not even Ron knew. Something Harry and I kept secret from the world was that we were constantly depressed when we were alone. I felt comfort in the fact that I wasn't alone.

          On the last day of my visit, I had an idea. I remembered that my cousin Missa had done this before.

          I pulled Harry into his room after a dreadful lunch (consisting of a three course meal and a discussion on politics) and took out a small switchblade I had purchased the night before. I carved a quick design into his right palm and into my left, telling him that this would be quick. As I finished the simple outline on my hand, I explained to him the muggle ritual of blood brothers and sisters.

          'Muggles have these suspicions that if you want to bond and stay connected with someone, you have to share blood. They'll prick themselves or make them bleed and then press the wounds together for two minutes, letting the blood mingle. I know it sounds stupid, Harry, but I always want you to know I'm always there for you, no matter what. I'm  always going to be around for you. I'm never going to leave unless you want me to.'

          After I had finished my explanation, I looked at him, wanting to know if he wanted to go through with it. His eyes confirmed it. We pressed our palms together and left our hands like that while we talked into the evening…

_And I feel bare naked_

_And I just can't take it_

_I'm getting jaded_

_No I just can't fake it anymore_

_Cause I'm bare naked_

_And I know life's what you make it_

_Wish I could float away_

_To some other day_

          I felt ashamed of myself as I stubbed out the butt of my cig and reached over for a second. I heard Missa voice in my head all of a sudden. 

          'Bethy-Ann, whenever I get depressed, I chain smoke. Gets my system calmed. Each problem goes away with every smoke I have. So remember: one smoke per problem, unless it's major.'

          _Great words of advice, Missa_. I lit the second and then though again. _Why me?_

          "Why did Draco choose me?" I said around the cigarette, exhaling smoke as I spoke. "I mean, he doesn't even know me! I want to know, but I just can't… Gah. This is complicated. Let's rephrase this. Why me?! I know he told me, but that's just not enough! I mean, I want everything! I know it sounds selfish, but doesn't everyone want everything?"

          I inhaled deeply and then I pulled the burning stick out of my mouth, exhaling again in a huff.

          "J.L.H.," I said, talking out loud to the singer when the song ran though the third time in a row, chorus blaring. "You're quite right. I just can't fake it anymore. But how can I be the real me when I don't even know who that is?"

          I thought about Draco. No matter where I was in my younger years, he always managed to find me and torment me more. Every time I was crying in the library, he'd be there in a snap, ready to say something about my friends, my heritage, my life in comparison to his. I hated him for it. Every year I told myself that I hated him with a passion, which I did in the beginning. But now… I don't know what my feelings were now. Did they amount to love? I knew that now it would be hard to believe in love and trust.

          I suddenly knew what the song was about, on my own personal level. _Everyday I end up stripping myself down until yesterday. Yesterday I was stripped bare naked. Yesterday was the breaking point._

          It all hit me with a cold metaphorical slap and a sudden  pop in my fireplace. I put my mental bearing on hold as I scrambled to the edge of my bed, cigarette in my mouth, wand in one hand and lighter in the other.

          "'Mione? You okay?"

          "Jesus, Ginny! You scared the hell out of me!" I scolded as the cigarette feel out of my mouth to rest on the floor. I cursed as I bent to pick it up.

          "Hermione! You're smoking? What's wrong with you?"

          "Gods, Ginny, _calamaté, hija_. This is only my second. I just needed to relax a bit."

          "Well, you could've at least told someone where you were! I mean, Draco used your entrance to the common room, yelling and demanding for you. Seems like he doesn't like waking up alone."

            "Yeah, well I have to sort out a few things before I even think of leaving my room," I replied as I imagined and believed that Draco would go nuts. I sucked on the cigarette until I could taste the disgusting bitterness of the filter.

          "Yeah," I said after an uncomfortable silence between the two of us. I leaned over, stubbed the butt in my ashtray, and pulled out another one, scrambling over to the fireplace to light it by Ginny's head. She wrinkled her nose at the smell.

          "You know, you've been in your room for an hour and a half; everyone's already freaked out. We're all looking for you."

          "Well, just tell everyone I'm fine," I mumbled around the cancer stick, turning away as the tears spilled out of my eyes once again.

          "'Mione, you're not fine," she supplied gently. "Do you want me to come get you?"

          Something in me just wrenched at my gut. Instead of tears of depression, tears bid of anger began to drop.

          "Clear off!" I yelled savagely, turning to her. She gave a small scream and with a _*pop*_ she was gone. I flopped on the bed again, reaching under my back for my lighter on which I fell.

          "Damnit," I swore softly. My life usually wasn't… Like this! It never used to be this complicated!

_          Well, you used to keep your lives separate_, I thought, chastising myself for bringing my worlds to mingle. Now they just ended crashing.

          "Heh. Crash and burn," I said without remorse, remembering the Savage Garden song. "Hell…"

          I sighed and puffed around the cig. I grabbed some Floo powder that rested on the mantle and threw it in the inviting flames. They turned emerald green accordingly and I got on my knees and shouted '_Virginia Weasley_' before sticking my head in.

          I suddenly popped into the Gryffindor common room fire with a cigarette in my mouth.

          "Hello?" I called. As my eyes roamed over the room which I could see, I saw Gin sitting in Harry's lap, talking quietly.

          "Ginny! Down in the fireplace!"

          I saw her jump at her name then look to the fireplace. She stared at me unbelievingly. She opened her mouth to speak but I cut her off.

          "Look, Gin, I'm sorry," I said softly, spitting out the half finished burning stick in my mouth. "Fucking thing. Anyways, I just want to say that… I'm sorry. I'm just a little bent right now. I just need some time to think. Alone."

          I didn't wait for an answer, but backed out once I had said all I felt was needed. Little did I know, everyone was paying sweet surrender to their own feelings as well.

                   **_Harry's POV_**

          "I've had it."

          I was stunned at her words as Ginny flopped back into my lap.

          "I've had it with everything! Why can't I just be the one with the major problems so people can pay attention to me? I mean, Ron is just as big a prat as he ever was, if not more! 'Mione's going through some sort of ruddy teen-life crisis! What does she have to bitch and moan about? She's got Draco! And everyone worships her! Gods!"

          I didn't know what to say. Being none-the-wiser, I asked.

          "Am I supposed to say something, Gin? 'Cos I don't think I can. Well, not anything smart, anyways."

          I was surprised at her reaction. She turned to me, hazel eyes smouldering. I thought she was angry but when she pulled me to her, I found I was wrong.

          When she kissed me, I felt what she was feeling, in a way. Her kisses were usually gentle, soft, coaxing. This one held all her anger and pent-up frustrations. The way she was crushing my lips under hers told me. Before breaking for air, she nipped my lip gently, almost like before, which, again, surprised me.

          "Harry," she breathed, flush creeping into her face. She looked so innocent. "Harry, you being here for me is enough. Thank you."

          Instead of talking, I just pulled her into my embrace, relaxing us both into a half-sitting/laying position against the couch arm.

                   **_Draco's POV_**

          After Weasley and Potter had told me where Mia was, I ran back to the Head Tower, realizing that I could've Floo-ed to her room when I was already halfway there. I swore at my own stupidity.

          As I approached my portrait, it dissolved, no password or anything. I didn't stop, I didn't think, I didn't comprehend. The only thing on my mind right then was Mia. My Mia. The only one who had access to my soul, the only who had my love. My everything.

          I ran up her staircase, little girl in a garden gone, replaced with a large, redwood door with gold touches. The knocker, a golden lion head, was perched in the centre, tongue out, creating a handle. I knocked. When there was no sound or response I assaulted the door with my fists. Still, nothing. I started kicking the door, like a child in the middle of a tantrum, while screaming for her to let me in.

          Then an idea struck me. I backed up, expecting to hit oak Balustrade railing but was greeted with empty space. I backed up even more, eyes closed, until I hit a wall, anticipating some sort of horrid drop to the twenty-five feet below. Looking around, my eyes settled upon my door, two small children playing in the picture frame. I swallowed a gasp as I realized: _a bridge between our two staircases…_

          I paced forward slowly, temporarily forgetting the predicament at hand. Then it jolted me back into reality: Mia.

          Once I was halfway amid the balcony between our sides, I ran halfheartedly at the door, knowing that if I'd gone full speed that I would've at least dislocated my shoulder. _At least_.

          I hit the inert redwood slab with a dull thud. As I picked myself up off the floor and rubbed my shoulder gingerly, I heard a creak. I opened my left eye to a slit and saw a fraction of Mia's head and hair poking out through half a foot of open entrance.

          "Draco" she stated quietly, bringing something to her mouth, inhaling and taking it out again. A cloud of smoke erupted around her beautiful features.

          "Pretty sure that's my name, Mia," I replied with a half-grin, eyes closed, rubbing more vigorously on the new-forming bruise.

          "Come in," she said, turning away. Then adding as an after thought, "If you must."

          I sighed again and stood, wrinkling my nose at the bitter yet calming smell of… What was it, anyways?

          As I pushed the door open more, I glimpsed at the surroundings. It was all clouded in a pale gray smoke with that same bittersweet smell. Almost like the pipes Father and Uncle Serverus used to smoke when I was younger…

          "Uh, Mia, I think you ought to put out that incense stick. Your room's…" I stopped myself from overstating the obvious.

          She turned to look at me from her bed then closed her eyes as she laughed a harsh, throaty sound. It scared me. When she stopped, we regarded each other like we had done so many years before. That scared me, too. I was the first to break, trying to comprehend what I had just seen in her eyes.

          It was _almost_ indescribable. I could see the hurt, the pain, the stress of growing up in a world as topsy-turvy as one's mind can be. I could see the loathing, the hate and anger, the _utter contempt_ that she suddenly held for the world. Then, just before I looked away, I saw a sad glimmer of hope, love, faith. I berated myself for turning away at that moment.

          "What's up?" she asked casually, bringing the same stick to her mouth and repeating the process that I had seen her do outside her door. Lift, inhale, linger, take out, exhale, wait, repeat. I just looked at her, anger suddenly getting the better of me.

          "What's up?! What's up?! Is that all you can say?" I seethed, my voice rising a decibel per word.

          "No," she replied, that same casual tone that seemed to be mocking me. "No. But it's all I want to say. Smoke?"

          She lifted up a rectangular carton, revealed contents sticking out, encased in foil. I took one and examined it in my hand. Then I remembered.

          _Fucking bloody hell! She smokes!_

          "You know, these kill."

          "Yeah. Muggles."

          "Hmm." I let her win. I stuck the cigarette in my mouth as I had remembered countless cousins do it and pulled my wand from my robe pocket, igniting the tip with a glare at the thin piece of wood. I inhaled the first, of soon to be many, puffs, the comforting smell of weekend life at the country cottage without my father and mother.

          "Sweet surrender, innit?" She asked, a smirk playing on her lips.

          "Well, I do see how you smoke these vile things," I replied, taking another drag.

          "Hypocrite. When'd you start?"

          "Just now."

          "What?"

          "Well, whenever my cousins invited me to the big country cottage when I was younger, they'd smoke these all the time. Though not as bitter, I guess. But essentially the same. They taught me the finer points of cigars and cigarettes and then told me they'd kill me if they caught me smoking. They even encouraged me when I got older."

          "Hmm. Oddly, I can believe that." She nodded her head as she stubbed out the orange-ish part onto an ashtray. She pulled out another one and stood up, walking towards me. "Stay still."

          I did as told, waiting for some of the old Mia to return, a slap in the face, a scolding but it never came, just like the fall from earlier. I opened my eyes to see her pressed up against me, unlit cigarette end against my burning one. Hers was rapidly becoming the bright, hellish glow dotted with black that mine was. When the two looked similar, she pulled back, inhaling deeply.

          "So, I never would've thought that purebloods did this type of thing. Pipes and cigars, maybe, but dirty little cigarettes?" She quirked her eyebrows.

          "Yeah, well, let's just say it's not conducive. It was part of my cousins' teenage rebellion. My father abhorred it, threatened to murder them all and enjoy it if he ever caught them teaching me."

          She shuddered.

          "Heard you were looking for me," she stated after a long, awkward silence in which we processed the tobacco through our lungs.

          "Yeah. It's a little disheartening when you wake up alone, you know what I mean?"

          I threw my cigarette butt into the ashtray with precision aim, the same time she dropped hers in there. She picked up the pack and dropped it again.

          "Half a pack… I think I'm ready to face the world."

          "Heh."

          "Heh? Is that all you can say?"

          "No. But it's all I want to say."

          I pealed with laughter as she headed into the bathroom, the crack of skin on skin still lingering in the air and on my face.

                   **_Hermione's POV_**

          As I let the heat of the water wash over me, I sighed.

          "Hermione, who shit in your cereal this morning?" I asked myself, using my best friend from elementary school's favourite quote for whenever I was pissed off. I giggled at the thought of Jefferson. He was the only one who knew who I really was. He knew everything about me. I decided that I had to write to him soon.

          As I turned off the cascade shower head, I shivered. I had had the heat up at it's highest and, my skin now a blistering red, now everything felt cold. I grasped the towel around my body as I tried fighting off the cold. I stepped out of the stall looking for my clothes.

          "Shit-whiskers!" I swore, remember that I had forgotten to grab some clothes. I sighed as I headed for my door.

                   **_Draco's POV_**

          I almost dropped the picture frame as she stepped through the doorway, steam surrounding her like a goddess. I glanced at her quickly before turning away quickly. She was clad in nothing but an _extremely_ short red-with-gold-fringe towel. It was wrapped just above her breasts, generous amounts of cleavage almost daring me to touch their counterparts. It ended right at the top of her thighs, almost leaving nothing for the imagination. _Not that anyone south of the border minds_, I thought as I grew hard in my trousers.

          "Quit being a prude," she stated, going around her room. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw her turn to the dresser, standing in front of an open drawer. "It's not like you've never seen me naked before anyways."

          I caught a flash of bright pink and turned my head curiously. She was wriggling on a pair of bright pink thong-knickers. _Bloody hell_. She dropped the towel, grabbing a matching skimpy halter style bra. As she fumbled with the neck knot, she turned, her back facing me. The sight of a lone pink sting along he backside was making my little friend want to come out and take a peek.

          "A little help, please?" she requested with askance, eyes flicking over her shoulder.

          "Sure," I strangled out, walking towards her. Once I had each string in my hand, I got a better idea. I slipped my hands under the loose triangular fabric of the front to massage her breasts. I heard her yelp then lean back against me, moaning.

          "Oh, damnit, Draco," she drawled out lazily as I pinched the hardened nipples in each hand, sucking on the soft skin of her neck with my mouth. "I… just… took… a… shower… _Ohh._"

          "Suit yourself," I said, shrugging and pulling away. Even after what had happened earlier, I was willing to… Forgive a little. I was suddenly assaulted with lips on mine, tongue slipping in between.

          She had turned around and grabbed my collar and was furiously ravaging my lips, not that I minded much. She ground her hips into mine and I groaned into her mouth. She stepped back, pulling me along by my still grasped collar. She kept this up until I felt her knees buckle. I made to pick her up but she refused, uttering the words between nimble lips and tongues. In a sudden movement I was under her, my shirt gone, trousers half undone and my erection coming out to play. She swallowed my moan as her hand grazed along my length. I unwound my hands from her hips and untied the knot of her halter style bra that was left. Away was the offending bright pink fabric. As my tongue lavished her breasts with equal fervor between them, I felt myself being sheathed in her, her warmth surrounding me.

          "Holy bloody blue hell," I breathed, my mouth detaching itself from her now swollen breast.

          "I think that's called earth, darling," she replied in a breath as she started pumping herself torturously slow on top of me. I made to grab at her hips but she swatted my hands away like flies at her cherry pie. I grinned against the valley of her breasts at my analogy.

          Once I started bucking my hips to meet her, starting to feel the waves of release, she finally let me grasp her about the waist and I pumped her mercilessly until she was screaming my name on her lips and hers was being gasped from mine. The sweet surrender.

          As the waves of ecstasy finally ebbed, I held her as she panted for air against my chest.

          "I'm sorry, Draco. For earlier."

          "Oh, I think you've already said that, darling. I think so… Now let me show you that I forgive…"

                   **_Harry's POV_**

_Do you ever go downstairs_

_To start your day but your car's not there_

_Yeah you know the joke's on you_

_You ever try your luck_

_With a pickup line but you just sucked_

_You tell yourself it wasn't you_

_And I know it's hard to hold it inside_

It's days like these I run and hide 

          I was starting to get worried. No, wait, that was un understatement. I was getting all-out freaked. I hadn't seen Hermione since her appearance in the fireplace and it was already one in the afternoon.

          "Gin, you think Hermione's okay?"

          "I hope so, Harry," she replied, seating herself beside me. We sat at the opposite end of the table as Ron, purposely avoiding him and his temper. "I really do hope so."

          As I loaded her plate then mine with potato salad and chicken pie, we talked about anything and everything; our childhoods, out friends, family, our lives in general. I knew both of us were still thinking about Hermione. I caught her glancing at the doors once in a while and every time someone entered or left. I found myself doing the same. Finally, half way through our puddings (mint chocolate chip ice-cream) the doors opened for the umpteenth time and Ginny and my eyes shot up to greet it like over expectant hosts. It was only Sueyeng and Dean, walking out hand-in-hand. My eyes travelled to Ginny who was still sitting, staring avidly at the door. A tantalizing drop of pale green ice-cream had escaped her mouth and was clinging for dear life on her lip. Before she could lick it away, I leant down and kissed her, swiping my tongue across her lips, tasting a bit of the cold concoction.

          "Hmmm… What was that for?" she asked, licking her own lips after I pulled away.

          "You had ice-cream on your lip," I replied simply, shrugging my shoulders and blushing a little. She giggled and leaned into me. I gazed down at her and thought,_ I must be really lucky to deserve her_.

                   **_Hermione's POV_**

          "I don't want to go in and have to sit without you, Draco," I complained once again as we neared the Great Hall.

          "Then sit _with_ me, Mia! It's that easy!" He grinned at me with his easy logic.

          "Draco!"

          "Okay, okay. I don't know… I sure as bloody hell am not sitting with Gryffindors, though. I may love you, but that's just going too far."

          I pouted. "Can you resist? It's the very cute pout that you just can't resist, Draco!"

          "Hmph. I hate you, you know that? You look just too damned irresistible with your bottom lip stuck out like that, ready for me to have my way with it…"

          "Draco!"

          "Heh, just kidding, darling. But I'll ask Dumbledore if we can have our own little table, then. You know, just for the two of us." He winked and I didn't believe a word he said.

          When we reached the doors, I stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick swipe with my lips. At that exact moment the doors flew open. Déjà vu.

          "And this keeps happening to us why?" Draco asked, a wry smile playing on his lips as he practically read my mind.

          "Get out of my head," I teased and turned to look who had caused the sense of repetition. Sueyeng and Dean.

          "Sueyeng! Dean!"

          "'Mione!" Sueyeng replied as Dean nodded at us. She ran to give me a quick hug. "Are you okay? Heard about this morning. Oh, hello Draco."

          "Uh, hullo, Manchester."

          "Sorry, but my proper name isn't 'Manchester_'._" She smile sweetly, contrasting the malice in her voice. "It's Sueyeng. S-U-E-Y-E-N-G. I'd prefer to be called by that, thank you very much."

          "Oh. Er, right. Sorry then, Sueyeng."

          "Suzie, you're so mean!" I exclaimed as Draco shifted uncomfortably.

          "Well how would he like it if someone constantly addressed him by his last name, like that's all he'd been reduced to? Geeze, 'Mione, hope you can straighten him out! Seems like all guys have kinks in them, not the good kind!"

          After parting, I walked in with Draco, gave him another kiss and headed off to find Parvati, Asia or Lavender. I wasn't really keen on seeing Ginny. I was purposely avoiding her just in case something would go wrong, like her telling me off in front of the majority of the school. It was one of my bad habits, to avoid something until the last second; a bad habit of my old life. But, since that last second decided to become now, I saw Ginny and Harry sitting at the far end. They both waved me over so I plastered a brave grin on my face and walked over, pushing down my feeling of dread.

          "Hey, guys!" I quipped cheerfully, slipping into the seat across from them, my back to the doors and to the Slytherin table just so I could make a quick get-away if need be.

          "Hey, 'Mione. You okay now?" Harry asked as Ginny nodded her head at me, not talking due to a mouthful of chicken pie.

          "Yeah, I'm fine now. Found a great tension reliever," I replied, looking pointedly at Ginny, giving her a small wink. She started laughing but ended up choking, tears streaming down her face.

          "Whew," she sighed when she was freely breathing and wiping away her tears. "Never, and I mean never do that to me again!"

          "Sorry, Gin, couldn't help it."

          "Yeah, right."

          We talked for a few more minutes and I noticed that they made no reference to anything that had happened that morning. Harry was looking at me strangely.

          "Hermione, you sure you're alright?"

          "Yeah, I am, Harry. Why?"

          "Dig in." He waved his hand over all the edibles placed in front of us. It was then I realized I hadn't even started eating.

          "Oh, er, right!" I blushed and began to pull the macaroni salad my way when a large hand stopped me. A large, long-fingered familiar hand…

          "Yes, Draco?"

          "Look." He stepped out of my way and I craned my neck, looking around the large hall. After giving the room a good once-over, I gave him a quizzical look. Everything looked normal.

          "Draco, what is it? I'm not in the mood for guessing games right now."

          "Darling, you're not looking hard enough," he whispered huskily. One of his fingers placed itself under my chin and guided my gaze into a far, secluded corner of the hall. A medium-sized rectangular table was there, two places set for, obviously, two diners.

          "Amazing," I whispered back. The table itself seemed to glow, seemed to stand out among everything in the Great Hall.

          "Yeah, it is, isn't it? And guess what. It's ours."

          "You've got to be kidding me, Draco. How'd you get Dumbledore to do this?"

          "Think about it. I've heard you quoting _Hogwarts: A History_ so many times, so you should be able to figure it out."

          I skimmed my memory, mentally turning each page in that lengthy tome when it hit me.

          "'_Upon request, the Head Girl and Head Boy my have their own table in the Great Hall. Depending on where the table is set, it will show their status. Example: if placed in front of the hall, before the faculty, their relationship is based mostly upon business and nothing more. If placed at the back, yet still prominent, the two have a delightful mixed relationship. If the table is placed within an alcove, it is usually said that the two are lovers. Rarely has the table itself seen fit to place itself in the latter position, owing to the fact that the Head Persons usually came from different houses_.'" I quoted the paragraph from memory, amazed.

          "Care to join me then, Mia?" He offered his hand which I took like a lady, giving my other two friends a quick goodbye.

          As we approached the table, he let go of my hand and hurried forward, pulling out my chair and waiting at its side. I giggled at his chivalry.

          I sat and he helped my push my chair in and he sat across from me and we loaded our plates.

          "So you've read _Hogwarts: A History_?" I questioned after swallowing a mouthful of potato salad.

          "Well, yeah. Got bored once and saw it lying around. It's actually not as boring as it looks. But enough about books. Look what I have." He gestured to the unnoticed silver ice bath. Inside were two large wine bottles.

          "Draco! Really?"

          "Well, yes. You are seventeen, right?"

          "Uh-huh."

          "That means we're both legal."

          "Right."

          "Red or white?" he asked as he reached over to the silver bucket. I blushed. I wasn't much of an elegant drinker. I mostly went for Mickey bottles or cans…

          "I'm not much of a wine person, Draco," I admitted slowly. He just grinned and nodded, picking up what seemed to be the red wine.

          "Here, try this. Pinot Noir, vintage 1800s." He poured the deep crimson liquid in the tall fluted wine glass that appeared at each of our places. I picked my glass up and lifted it close to my face. It smell fruity and fragrant, somewhat strong, and the light alcohol smell perked my senses. I hesitantly took a sip. I like it. It was different than what I usually drank and I made me feel important.

          "Like it, Mia?"

          "Very much," I replied, sipping again and placing the glass on the tablecloth. "What's with you being such the gentleman all of a sudden?"

          "What? Can't a man treat his lady to the luxurious life once in awhile?"

          "Not without reason, Draco," I giggled out.

          "Fine. I just want to say thank you for everything. You being here, you being in my life and, of course, the amazing sex."

          "Oh, great. Thanks a lot, darling."

          "Feel grateful." He picked up his glass and held it near me. "Cheers."

          "Cheers," I responded and clinked my glass with his.

                   **_Ron's POV_**

_When I feel bare naked_

_And I just can't take it_

_I'm getting jaded_

_No I just can't fake it anymore_

_Cause I'm bare naked_

_And I know life's what you make it_

_Wish I could float away_

To some other day 

          "God, just another reason for them to act all sappy in public," I muttered as I shoved a chunk of lamb into my mouth.

          "Lord, Ron, get over it! You've got to live your life and don't forget the fact that you had your chance."

          "Shut up, Parvati."

          "No, I will not. Plus, they look sort of cute."

          I glared at the couple in the corner again. They were toasting to something.

          "That should be me there with her," I growled.

          "Should be? If it _should_ be you, Ron, then why is Draco Malfoy there and you here?" Asia Manchester asked haughtily. "Really, sometimes you boys can be so full of yourselves. That's why I prefer to keep my relationship with Randolph."

          "Randolph?" I asked, suddenly curious. I tore my eyes away from the sight of Hermione and Malfoy and looked at Asia expectantly.

          "Randolph. He's my boyfriend, goes to Beaubaxtons. Really nice Filipino guy, too."

          "If he goes to Beaubaxtons, he'd be our age, wouldn't he?"

          "No. He's a professor there."

          My jaw dropped. Well, my chances were now narrowed to Lavender, Parvati, Padma and Hanna Abbot. Not exactly the most desirable choices.

          "Lord, Ron, you're gullible. Of course he's a student there, but he's not our age. He's actually 19, doing the apprenticeship with their Potions Master, Madame De La Croix."

          "Isn't he a little old for you, Asia? I mean, we're only seventeen. He's two years older and it's a long distance relationship."

          "And what's that supposed to mean?"

          "Aren't you afraid that he'll cheat on you? And aren't you even tempted? I mean…" I stopped when she stiffened and I knew I had just placed my large foot in my overly large mouth.

          "I'm sorry, did I imply that I was easy or unfaithful? I'm pretty sure I didn't, Ron Weasley!"

          "Sorry," I mumbled and I shoved another mouthful of macaroni salad. _Why am I such a total bloody fuck-up with women???_

                   **_Draco's POV_**

          "Finished?" I asked as she pushed her golden plate away.

          "Ugh. I don't think I can eat anymore, Draco," she sighed. "That was wonderful."

          "Well, you haven't had dessert yet, darling."

          "I don't think I can fit it in, _caro_."

          "Hmm, then I think I'll just have to have it all but myself… Although it is somewhat lonely to lick chocolate paint off…"

          I smirked as she perked up, her eyes wide. I noticed that her mind worked in _mysterious_ ways, as I hadn't managed to finish my sentence. I meant to say strawberries and alone.

          "Really now?" she asked, licking her lips, leaving a glistening trail in their wake.

          "Really, dearest," I replied, grinning madly.

          "Then let's go," she responded earnestly, getting up.

          "You know, I don't really feel like getting up, though, Mia. Let's just have it here."

          Her eyes went wide again. Oh, how I love teasing her.

          "Draco.. I don't really think that…"

          "Don't worry. No one will mind."

          Her eyes started popping out of their sockets as I said this. I pulled my wand out of my robe and swished it over the table, lunch things disappearing and a basket of strawberries, a fondue pot and six three-inch bottles full of liquid flavoured chocolate with paint brushes appeared. Her jaw dropped.

          "You meant _strawberries!_" she exclaimed.

          "Yes, of course. What did you think I meant?" I flashed her and innocent, quizzical glance.

          "But you said…"

          "Darling, you never let me finish my sentence." I winked and then winced as a loud, resounding crack of skin on skin echoed through the hall. Everyone turned to look at us. I just started laughing.

                   **_Hermione's POV_**

          I looked at him like he was insane. He was laughing at the fact that I had slapped him on the face in front of the whole school. Then it dawned on me and I started laughing, too. I now definitely knew everyone thought us insane as they watched us.

          "Lord," I gasped. "Lord, you really had me there, Draco."

          "I know. You should've seen the look on your face, Mia. It was priceless!" he replied, mouthing for air as he rubbed his reddening cheek.

          "Here, you want ice fore that? I'm really sorry." I unfolded a spare napkin and placed three ice cubes from the silver wine bucket into it. Wrapping it up, I stood and rushed over to the opposite side of the table and knelt by his chair, pressing it gently against the clearly defined handprint.

          "Merlin, you can strike a good one, though." He pressed his hand over mine and grinned.

          "Yeah, well, you know how to give words a double meaning."

          "I'll take that as a compliment." With his free hand he reached for a strawberry and held it a few centimeters over my mouth. "Care for one?"

          Instead of replying, I just leaned up and bit the juicy red fruit, leaving the leaves in between Draco index finger and thumb.

          "I'll take that as a yes then," he said, discarding the inedibles on to his plate.

          "Feel any better?" I asked as I pulled the moistening napkin away to gauge the redness on his face.

          "Not really, but you've been slapping my upside the head since third year. I'm used to it."

          "Cheeky bastard."

          "You love it."

          "Unfortunately. I attract the worst type of men."  

          "And what's that supposed to mean?"

          "You tell me."

          "Cheeky wench."

          "You love it." I grinned as he gave me the evil eye.

          "Don't steal my line."

          "I'll take it if I want."

          "Fine. Be that way."

          "Thank you. I will."

          I made to get up but he grasped my wrists and pulled me to him, giving me a wholehearted kiss.

          "Whew!"

          "Are you complaining?"

          "Gods, why would I?" I asked incredulously.

          "Good. C'mon. Let's go back to the common room."

          "But dessert…"

          "Common room, darling," he whispered, the words coming off his tongue like silk. I giggled.

          "Sure." I stood and he followed suit after waving his wand and clearing the table.

                   **_Draco's POV_**

          "Wait, I want to say goodbye to Harry and Ginny," she said, pulling me behind her towards the Gryffindor table. I groaned.

          "Harry, Ginny!"

          "Hey Hermione!" they called in response. They looked at me, waiting for some scathing remark or something. I swallowed my pride and forced myself to not clench my teeth. The grin could come later.

          "Harry. Ginny." Each name was punctuated with a slight nod. Potter's jaw dropped as I remembered _Sueyeng_'s  haughty advice to me earlier. The Weasley, er, Ginny, just looked triumphant.

          "Hullo, Draco," she greeted with a smile.

          "Er, hey, er, Draco…"

          "Anyways, we're leaving so we'll see you two later?" I looked at Mia. I wondered if she was blind to have not seen the scene unfold before her.

          "Sure, 'Mione. Dinner or something. Did you bring any of your Muggle movies with you?"

          "Yeah, I did. Why?"

          "Lemme borrow 'A Walk To Remember', please? I'm really dying to finish it!"  
          "Maybe, babe. How about we watch it tonight, after dinner?"

          "Ohhh! Perfect! I'll bring the popcorn and the makeup!" She grinned.

          "Oh, good Lord… They're planning a chick flick night again," Harry muttered. "How many times in my life will I have to put up with it?"

          "Chick flick night?" I asked. "What's that?"

          "It's when they get a really sappy muggle movie, movies are like theatre plays that muggles preserve so you can watch it whenever you want to. Anyways, they usually get some really sappy or really horrid muggle movie that men don't understand whatsoever and they eat popcorn and read mags and do makeup, nails, whatever it is girls do. I really try to make myself scarce whenever the girls have their little _thing_ going on."

          "Popcorn?"

          "Merlin! You don't know what popcorn is? Mate, you have much to learn." He was chortling with laughter.

          "C'mon, Draco! Let's go! Those strawberries aren't going to eat themselves!"

          "Coming, darling. Later, er, Harry, Ginny."

          "See ya."

          I took two long strides to catch up with Mia.

          "So, what're you doing tonight with Ginny?" I asked as she wrapped herself in my arms.

          "Oh, nothing much. Just gunna re-watch 'A Walk To Remember', eat popcorn. But right now, I'm in the mood for music videos and chocolate covered strawberries."

          "Darling, I hate to sound ignorant, but what in Merlin's name is popcorn?"

          She looked up at me and I could tell by her expression, even though upside-down, that she thought I was insane. I just looked plain puzzled.

          "Popcorn? You have no clue what popcorn is?"

          "Well, as much as I love hearing your voice, Mia, would I be asking if I already knew what the infernal thing was?"

          "It's very _New York_ to answer a question with another question, you know."

          "If I knew what that meant, I'd respond accordingly. Now, what in bloody blue blazes is _popcorn_?" I uttered the word with contempt. It was causing my so much damned trouble and all it was to me was a stupid little word!

          "Well, what it is, really, is corn kernels off the cob itself and you dry them until they become hard and inedible. Then, what muggles do is they heat them up until they make a loud popping noise and they become these white puffs, I guess. They're really good eaten with melted butter."

          "Really, if you say so."

          "Maybe you should come with me and the girls tonight. I'll get Ginny to invite Harry, Suzie can bring Dean, maybe Asia can Floo up Randolph if to check if he's not busy tonight. Yay! This is going to be so fun!"

          "No way. If Potter's not going, I'm not. He told me what goes on during these, these _nights_! It definitely does not sound fun to me!"

          We reached the large wall image and instead of someone from either side greeting us, the referee, in long, shimmering robes of gold, paused all actions and casually walked over to us.

          "Password, please."

          "_The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings_," I recited as plainly as possible. I wanted to knock Mia's socks off and it looked like I just had.

          The portrait dissolved and I walked in, gently pushing Mia in as she stared at me, mouth agape.

          "Draco? Shakespeare?" She stared.

          "You do know that it's impolite to stare at people, darling. And yes, I have studied Sir Shakespeare's works thoroughly. That was a quote from Julius Cesar. Impressed, are you?"

          "Somewhat," she replied, her normal high and mighty attitude returning. I grinned and bowed, muttering a short 'Your highness' as she sat on the couch.

          "Well, you know what I feel like doing?"

          "Hmm, I wonder…"

          "Not that you oaf," she admonished, swatting my arm. "I swear, that's all you think about!"

          "Only when I'm reminded of you," I whispered in her ear, pulling her close. "Now, what is it you feel like doing in this lovely afternoon?"

          "Watch music videos."

          I was taken aback. "Excuse me?"

          "I told you already. I feel like watching music videos. Preferably some American Idol stuff."

          "If I knew what in Merlin's name you were talking about…"

          "You'd respond accordingly, I know, I know. Just shut up and stay with me."

          "Now, that's one thing I'd do willingly."

          She waved her wand around and a large, thin screen appeared and music came flooding through the room as a large man came on the screen, surrounded by a group of people outdoors. Then words came floating out, Mia singing along with them.

          "_Everybody's looking for that something, one thing that makes it all complete. You'll find it in the strangest places, places you never knew it could be_…"

          "You know, you really are good at that," I commented.

          "Well, I do like to sing this song. It's really beautiful. And true."

          I just sat, listening to the words and watching her instead of the flat screen a few feet away.

          _She looks beautiful_, I thought. _And she's all mine_.

          "What are you thinking about, Draco?" Her words are thread and her voice silky smooth. I decide to be honest, for once, in my big lie of a life.

          "You," I reply as quietly as possible. "You're my everything, Hermione. You… In your eyes I can see everything I want to see, you and me, nothing surrounding us, no one in our way. I know I may sound like some stupid adolescent trying to impress you, but believe me when I say that I really do love you. I've never felt like this, I've never _felt_ this, until now. Until you."

          She just looked at me and I suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable and self-conscious.

          "Hermione, Mia, please… Say something. Tell me off, yell, anything. Just don't leave me feeling like a total jackass."

          Her arms made their way around my neck and her finger intertwined themselves at my nape. She blinked slowly and pulled me forwards, kissing me with pent up passion and energy.

          "Draco, always know that I love you, no matter what," she whispers against my lips, opening her eyes. Molten gold meet liquid mercury.

          "I don't deserve you, _cara mia_…"

          "And you think I deserve you? I've done so many things in my life, _caro_… So many things…"

          "No, darling, you deserve everything and more," I said, quieting her. "You deserve the sky, the world, and I'm none of that."

          "You're all of that. All of that and more."

          We sat throughout the rest of the song and another one came on, more gentle. What sounded like the chorus came on and she started singing softly, our foreheads pressed together.

          "_Some people wait a lifetime/For a moment like this/Some people search forever/For that one special kiss/Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me/Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this…_"

          "I think I have waited a lifetime for you… I think I have searched forever for you, Hermione Bethany-Anne…"

          _THUD THUD THUD!_

          It was someone at our portrait door. _Lord, you have the greatest timing in the whole world_, I thought sarcastically.

          "Oh, good Lord. Why do they have to come bothering us now?" she muttered, getting up. "They just totally ruined  _the moment_."

          I watched her (and her derriere) make way to the wall, waving her hand in front of it, making it go transparent from the inside. Standing outside our door was the Weasley. _Lord, does he have _great_ timing_, I thought sarcastically.

          _THUD THUD THUD!_

          "HERMIONE! LET ME IN!"

          "Lordy," she breathed then wailed, "Why now???"

          "Just let the damned asshole in to stop his bitching and moaning, darling," I replied, heaving myself from the couch and going by her side, instinctively wrapping an arm around her waist.

          "You want to hear bitching and moaning? Just wait til I get my hands on that little…"

          I pressed my hand against the transparent wall and it dissolved. Weasley stopped his shouting and stared at us, mouth agape at the fact that I had my arm around her.

          "What do you want, Weasley?" I shot, bringing him out of his astonishment.

          "To talk to Hermione," he said hurriedly.

          "Well, you're here, I'm here. So talk." She crossed her arms against her chest and leaned closer into my half-embrace.

          "Alone, 'Mione," he said, almost pleading. "Please?"

          "No. Whatever you have to say can be said in front of Draco, probably since it involves him anyways."

          I looked at her and quirked an eyebrow. _Cold_, I thought. _Cold and harsh_.

_It's all a state of mind_

_But I don't mind trying to find a way_

_To keep my head above the mess I make_

_What the world creates_

_Sometimes it feels so good to let it all fall_

_As the world fall_

_I may fall_

_We all may fall_

_And then the world comes tumbling_

Down down down down down 

          "Alright then," he said uncertainly. He glanced at me then the floor then at me again after his settled on Hermione. He gulped. "'Mione, please, I just don't want to see you get hurt… Please… Just come back to me, don't stay with this prick! Can't you see he's just using you? It's bound to end up in shambles… Hermione, please…"

          She looked at me pointedly. "Do you want to handle this or should I?"

          I grinned. "It's up to you, darling."

          "Ronald Weasley, I think you've heard it from my mouth enough to figure it out that, not only have I change, you have, too! You've suddenly become despicable, idiotic and childish! Now, if I may add 'please', LEAVE ME ALONE!"

          It looked like Weasley had been told that he was pregnant (though I probably wouldn't put it past _him_). Before I could say something, Mia snapped her fingers and the picture waved into place.

          "Damnit, he's got me all worked up, and not in the good way!

          "C'mere. I'll give you a massage," I offered, tugging her hand as I attempted to walk to the couch.

          "I'd love that," she breathed gratefully. "Thank you, Draco."

          I knelt down, my back against the armrest, and sat Mia in between my legs. She relaxed and stretched her legs out on the large expanse of couch and leaned her lower back into my thighs. Gently rubbing her shoulders and caressing her upper back, she rolled her neck and sighed.

          "Feel like talking?" I offered. She sighed.

          "Not really, darling… There's nothing to talk about. It's over between me and _him_. There's nothing to say."

          "Hmm, that sounds like _my_ attitude towards him. Are you sure you haven't been picking up my bad habits?"

          She just laughed and sat up, facing me.

          "_And then the world comes tumbling/Down, down, down, down, down…_" she said cryptically. "C'mon. Let's do something. I'm bored."

          "Sure," I agreed, ready for some sort of adventure myself. "How about you come fly with me again, Mia?"

          "_Well_…" I could see the conflict in her eyes although I had no clue what it was about. I knew that she wasn't exactly one for flying, but she seemed to have a good time yesterday.

          "We'll do anything you want, Mia."

          "Well, I really do feel like shopping… But I don't think we can go to Hogsmeade." She pouted.

          "Or maybe," I said, scooping her up in my arms so her feet were off the ground, and a mischievous grin on my face, "maybe there is."

                   **_Hermione's POV_**

          I giggled when he swept me off my feet, that adorable (oh, lord, I'm getting sappy…), mysterious grin snaking its way about his face.

          "How?" I asked, trying to contain my giggles as he turned a full 360 degrees quite quickly.

          "We tell them it's for the dance and the scavenger hunt. Of course, we'll buy things for those, too, but it's an opportune time, darling!"

          It sounded so tempting… _Oh, what the hell. You only live once_!

          "Ohh! Let's!"

          "Okay, go get dressed properly and we'll go see Dumbledore."

          "Isn't this good enough, Draco?" I asked, looking down at my tight black jeans and matching black baby tee.

          "I want you looking like my girl, not some gothic muggle tart," he replied, grinning as he set my back on my feet. He walked me up the stairs as I chattered on about items I needed, wanted, already had and things for the dance and scavenger hunt.

          "Okay, meet me out here, okay?" He said, nodding his head to the bridge-like balcony connecting our staircases. I stared at it.

          "Where did this come from?"

          "Well, judging from how things have been going lately, I'd say it has to do with our relationship. Remember what our table did today? It says if it places itself in an alcove…"

          "_Right_…" I replied, remembering lunchtime. _Odd, we'll ask Dumbledore later, I thought, giving my password to Charisse, whose picture was back in place. I guess she must've gotten scared with all the noise I was making this morning, so she morphed her picture into the door. Whatever._

          I ran into the wardrobe room, robes immediately presenting themselves before me. I chose a pair that was of sleek shiny black material. They looked good with my MaryJanes that I had on. I pulled a matching black cloak off the coat rack and made my way out of the room, grabbing some stark silver jewelry. Then I remembered the pieces that I had to had fixed. I layered them in tissue and placed them carefully in my purse before swiping my wand against my face, perfect black eyeliner and deep burgundy lipgloss.

          I walked out of my room and saw Draco outfitted in casual silver robes, black Dockers peeking out from the hem. Draped on his arm was (what looked to be) a silk silver robe with thin fur lining.

          "Ready?" he asked, taking my hand and walking me downstairs.

          I knocked on the door in which the headmaster had disturbed us the previous day and I heard a vague 'Come in' come from inside.

          Draco opened the door and I stepped through after thanking him, coming into the light of the Headmaster's office.

          "Miss Granger! How pleasant to see you this fine day," he greeted, motioning me to sit in one of the three chairs placed in front of him. Professor McGonagall was seated in one of them, and I think the two were anticipating our visit.

            Draco stepped through and shut the door, greeting our headmaster warmly and vice versa. After we were all seated, Dumbledore beamed at us.

          "Well, I may ask, I need you two to do me a favour."

          "Of course, Professor," I quickly replied, hoping that this wouldn't take long. I really wanted to go to Hogsmeade without having to go through the secret entrance Harry told us about.

          "Well, I was wondering if you two would like and advanced trip to Hogsmeade. You see, I need to pick up a Time Turner I sent into Dervish and Banges last week. They owled me earlier and told me that I had to pick it up within three days and I'd like to but I'm quite caught up at the moment."

          My eyes lit up. _This is perfect_, I thought.

          "We'd love to, Professor," Draco said easily. "And we were also just going to ask you if we could go into Hogsmeade this afternoon to start shopping for the scavenger hunt since we commence it tomorrow night."

          "Excellent idea, Mister Malfoy!"

          "So we can go?" I asked eagerly, waiting impatiently like a child.

          "Yes," Dumbledore replied. He reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a sack. I could hear clinking of coins and I knew right away he was going us money. "There's about two hundred-odd Galleons in here. Enough to pay for the timepiece and some minor shopping at Hogsmeade. Would that be enough?"

          I nodded fervently and the twinkle in his eye seemed to brighten.

          "Well, we do need you back six. That gives you a little over five hours. Would that be okay?"

          "Definitely," Draco replied and he bid him goodbye, leaving the room through the normal door. Dumbledore handed me the sack of Galleons and I waved a cheery goodbye as I followed him out the door.

                    **_Narrative_**

_When I feel bare naked_

_And I just can't take it_

_I'm getting jaded_

_No I just can't fake it anymore_

_Cause I'm bare naked_

_And I know life's what you make it_

_Wish I could float away_

To some other day 

          Draco pulled Hermione through the Entrance Hall doors and swung her in his arms.

          "You know, I think the old man knew we wanted to go."

          "Come to think of it, he probably did. Professor McGonagall hadn't said a thing during that little conversation and her lips were pursed tight."

          "She probably didn't want us to go," he replied, taking her hand and walking towards the gates. "Have you gotten your Apparition license yet?"

          She shook her head. "No. I'm getting it during the Christmas hols. My birthday was only last month. You know that."  
          "Right. Hold tight, then." He opened his arms and she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly.

          "Might want to loosen your grip there, Mia," he breathed, chuckling a little. She loosened and he grasped one arm around her waist and with a small _pop_, they were gone.

***A/N: okay, okay** I know. Everything I promised except the popcorn. Lets just say that this chappie was… '_A Prelude to the Popcorn'_. Lol. At least the word popcorn is in here =} anyhoo, enjoy this chap, I'll put the preview up, yadda yadda yadda –-iPnay Xtacy--


	8. A VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE

**VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**I wasn't quite sure where I left off with this story and I highly doubt that many of you remember my preview to chapter eight. I know I don't! I know, I am a very bad writer (--smacks self with rolled up newspaper—).**

**With the time I was away, I expanded my musical, literary, and compositional horizons, and I hope you'll all be happy with them. Basically this means more detail, longer chapters, better songs (not that they were bad in the first place), quicker updates, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Oh, yeah. And more smut. D (I will make you all proud, I promise.)**

**By the way, I will try to keep current with all the books that are out, but if there are some discrepancies, just try to remember that I'm trying my hardest!**

**Check out my profile for a more in-depth explanation of my return.**

**I missed you and I'm glad to be back!**

**--iPnay**


	9. Breathe

**Only Fools Rush In**

**Disclaimer –** I do not own anything except my original characters, my story and plot lines and my scenarios, even though they've probably been used, mauled and distorted before. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME! And, also, please don't sue me for any of the copyrighted things in here (like music and songs) unless they're my own or if I added or changed a line, that line is MINE! Scratches head sheepishly. **Okay! Enjoy! I mean, really, c'mon, _I_ were JKR, would I be posting these on this site?**

**Chapter 8 –Breathe: Pleasures, Popcorn, and an Unexpected Encounter**

* * *

**_Hermione's POV_**

There was a slight jerk so I re-tightened my hold on Draco and clenched my eyes shut. I still wasn't used to the sensation of Apparation, how quickly everything moved. I felt Draco wobble and lose his balance then we fell. I held tighter as everything stopped and I buried my head in his chest. He just laughed.

"You can open your eyes now," he chuckled. "Hurry on, now. If you don't get off me, we'll never be able to do whatever you wanted to do tonight."

I opened my eyes to see that he was right: we were on the ground right in the middle of the road in front of the Three Broomsticks. I laughed and stood up, offering my hand down to him as he looked at me, a odd look in those molten pools of silver.

"What?" I asked with fake irritation as I stopped laughing.

He dusted off his ass and pulled me to him, holding me close. His voice was a low, throaty growl that stirred something deep inside me. "You're amazing. You can read my mind and you don't even know it."

I countered his sudden appeal with some of my own. I closed my eyes for a minute and concentrated on relaying my feelings through my eyes. When I opened them, I saw my reflection in his and was satisfied: I had gotten the results I was hoping for. My eyes had gone from bright, cheery hazel to a sexy, smoldering gold that he responded to in a _very_ physical manner.

"That's exactly what I mean," he growled into my lips after kissing me hard. "you have this, this… Charm that you don't even know you have. That just make it all the more sexier."

"Thank you," I whispered, relishing his warmth, physical and emotional. I kissed him again and I felt his tongue dart out almost immediately to caress my lips. I gave his tongue a small nip and he pulled back. Gone were the pools of deep, molten silver, replaced with a content and happy silver that made me smile.

"Come," he prodded, stepping back from me and taking my hand. "Do you want a drink first, or shopping?"

"Oh, I really do think we should do Professor Dumbledore's business first," I replied, pulling him in the direction of Dervish and Banges.

"I supposed you're right, love," he sighed as he allowed me to drag him up the street.

* * *

**_Draco's POV_**

•••

_I've been driving for an hour _

_Just talking to the rain_

_You say I've been driving you crazy_

_And it's keeping you away_

•••

_She's terribly efficient when she wants to be_, I thought wryly as all the shops whizzed by me. I didn't even get the chance to look at all the new shops and stores that had appeared since the boom in this small, back-water wizarding town. Everyone had seemed to think that it was celebratory to open new establishments since the defeat of Voldemort, but I thought it was a bit of a disgrace. Why change an already good thing?

"Ah, here we are."

I looked over to Hermione, whose hand had slipped from mine, as she busied herself with something in the pocket of her cloak. "What are you looking for, Mia?"

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to make sure that I had the Professor's money with me." She pulled out something between her forefinger and thumb and held it up. I screwed up my eyesight and leaned in closer, soon realizing that it was the formerly large sack of money that Dumbledore had entrusted her with.

"What did you do it?" I asked incredulously, holding my hand out. She dropped it into my palm and muttered a quick spell. It quickly grew to its proper size and weight, causing my hand to lose balance for a moment.

"Shrunk it," she shrugged. She pulled the money sack out of my hand. "No big deal."

I noticed that her wand was still in her pocket as we walked into the shop. Just as I was about to comment, she bustled up to the counter and began conversing with proprietor. I stood beside her and feigned mild interest as I cast glances at the many technical objects that crowded the inside of the store.

"Let me just tell Evan to get Dumbledore's Time Turner out of the back," a wiry man behind the glass case told Hermione. He yelled to the back of the store and brought his attention around again. "If you want, I can tell you what needed to be done, just in case you want to explain to Albus."

"That would be very helpful, thanks," she replied in her old, prissy tone. I rolled my eyes and leaned on the glass display case. A young man came walking out of the back room with a box in his hands. He placed it on the counter beside me and I raised and eyebrow. Hermione started to count Galleons and stack them like poker chips while the man spoke.

"… And the only real thing was to replace the sand. I took out the old stuff and put in classic movement: sand from the beaches of Normandy."

The whole time he was speaking, she nodded her head, as if enraptured by their conversation. She thanked him again, shrunk the box containing the Time Turner (without her wand, _again_, I noticed), pushed three small stacks of Galleons towards him and pulled me out of there.

"Wow," she gasped, almost as if needing air. "I thought he'd never stop."

I laughed as we walked slowly and leisurely down High Street. I turned to her, remembering the two charms she had pulled without her wand. "But how did you do the Shrinking and Enlargement charms without your wand?"

Her grin widened and she had a wicked look in her eyes. "A little something I picked up in the States."

I grabbed her by the waist and she yelped playfully as I lifted her up in the air.

"Elaborate or you'll go floating off into space," I playfully threatened. She laughed even harder as I stretched my arms to their fullest extent.

"Okay, okay!" she chortled. Upon seeing that I wasn't going to let her down, she explained between chuckles. "My cousin in the States, Marissa, taught me how to do it! She's a Mage, and she showed me a trick or two, that's all, I swear! Now put me down!"

I gently set her on her feet and we were off again.

"You've got to teach me some of that stuff," I commented before she pulled my over to Scrivenshaft's. "Oh, boy. What now?"

"I want to look at some new quills and monogrammed sets of parchment," she bubbled, entering the shop.

I followed her in, expecting another dreary conversation with the shop owner, but it never came. She ran around the shop like a bunny on crack, going back and forth between the aisles of quills, ink, parchment and the like.

"Will you calm down, love?" I whispered, thinking that a quaint shop like this needed silence like a library.

"Oh, Draco," she replied in a sprite-like tone, her voice shattering my image of silence. "Don't be stupid."

"Miss Granger!" a cheerful voice called from behind her. I looked to see an extremely tall man with long, flowing red robes and matching long gray hair behind her. "Good to see you again! And congratulations on becoming Head Girl!"

"Oh, thank you," she gushed. They became caught up in a conversation in the latest literature and I tried to look intelligent, but I couldn't get a word in edgewise. As they walked to the front of the store, she subtly pointed her fingers at items she wanted and they whizzed to the front counter, settling themselves neatly in a row. I watched her in amazement, then grabbed a couple extra supplies for myself. I approached the counter behind her, placing my items beside hers and pulling out my own money bag. I counted out 50 Galleons, hoping that my estimation wasn't too far off. I looked over at her purchases as they were being rung up. High-end, expensive, and top of the line items were staring at me. Then I looked closer at one of the ink pots and saw something that surprised me.

"Alright then," the shop keeper quipped with a tone of finality. "That'll come to-"

"Just take this and keep the change, sir," I said, cutting him off. I pushed the money from my hand across the counter and grinned at Mia.

We walked out of the store and the first word out of her mouth was 'show-off'. I laughed and countered.

"Would you like you bags to end up in the middle of the lake, Mia? Because I can do that from here."

"You wouldn't dare!"

•••

_So just give me one good reason _

_Tell me why I should stay_

'_Cause I don't want to waste another moment_

_Saying things we never meant to say _

•••

"So what's with the baby blue ink?" I asked casually, steering her into Gladrags Wizardwear. "I honestly would've pegged you for a black or, maybe silver, kind of girl."

"I'm a sucker for pastel colours," she shrugged as a saleswitch bustled up to us.

"Welcome to Gladrags Wizardwear!" she piped, her voice squeaky. "How can I help you with wonderful afternoon?"

"Oh, it's alright," I said, flippant tone emerging. "We'll just look for now."

The woman scurried off and Mia bashed me lightly on the arm.

"Snobbish prat," she giggled. "Come, I want to look for pretty things."

"Pretty things?" I repeated. I laughed. "Since when did you become, oh, what do Muggles call them? Airheads?"

"Excuse me," she replied with faux indignance. "I am not an airhead. I am a sophisticated woman, full of womanly wiles."

She held her nose up like a snob and I almost doubled over. "You look like my mother when you do that!"

She laughed with me and started picking through racks. I did so as well, on the rack opposite hers. As I carelessly flicked through the rows and rows of women's dress robes, something caught my eye. I pulled it off the rack and held it up, grinning softly.

"Mia, come here," I beckoned. She walked over and I turned the dress around so she could get a good look.

"Oh my God," she gasped quietly. "Draco, it's beautiful!"

It was a full, strapless gown, done in muted silver satin. There was a slit on the front, revealing black a black satin layer underneath. _Simple, yet elegant_, I thought. _Perfect for her_.

"Simple, yet elegant," she whispered again, reading my mind. "Let me try it on!"

She checked the size and then rushed over to the dressing area. I sat outside the curtain, waiting for her to come out. I imagined the two of us at the Halloween dance, me holding her close on the dance floor as slow music played us into the night. In my fantasy, she was wearing that dress, and we were the center of attention, to the dismay of Weasley.

She stepped out of the dressing room and I stood up, taking a step back to admire her. The dress was cut low and there was enough cleavage there to share with poor Muggle children in Africa. The dress clung to her every curve, the silver satin making her seem more tall and slender. The dress ended with a straight skirt, the black underlay showing a stark distraction from the soft silver surrounding it.

"Does it look alright?" she asked self-consciously. She looked at me, eyebrows knitted in worry. I walked over to her and held her by her hips. Her arms went around my shoulders.

"You look beautiful," I assured her. "Absolutely stunning."

She looked deep into my eyes and was reassured. "You really think so?"

I nodded in agreement.

"But I think it's too expensive for my tastes," she said with disappointment, parting from me and looking down at herself. She looked in the mirror and sighed. "And I'm not going to let you buy it for me."

"Hey, I have loads of money that I don't use, Mia!" I protested as she walked back behind the dressing curtain to change. "If I'm not going to spend it on you, who else will I use it on?"

"Draco, don't argue with me, please."

We were both quiet as she finished changing. I was going to get her that dress, no matter what she said. Just in the way of how, I still wasn't sure about.

* * *

**_Hermione's POV_**

•••

_And I take it just a little bit I hold my breath and count to ten_

_I've been waiting for a chance to let you in_

_If I just breathe_

_Let it fill the space between,_

_I'll know everything is alright_

_Breathe_

_Every little piece of me_

_You'll see everything is alright_

_If I just breathe_

•••

I ended up buying a few new robes, a less expensive (and less attractive) dress robe, and some cute, Halloween-themed knickers (more for Draco's benefit than mine). But that dress stuck in my mind and refused to leave. I could just imagine Draco and me, dancing at some fancy soiree…

"How about we go for a drink, then?"

"I'd love to," I said, trying to cheer myself up and forget about the dress. It had fit perfectly too…

(Oh, do stop it), the little she-devil in my head spat. (You should've just let him buy you the dress! It looked simply _divine_ on you!)

_No_, I thought stubbornly. _I am not going to be his cheap whore_.

(Cheap whore? Where is that coming from?)

_I'm not going to let him buy me things in exchange for being with me_, I reasoned. _I'm not going to be his whore_.

"…Mia? Are you listening to me?"

I looked up at Draco, the worry in his face evident. "Sorry. Caught up with my own thoughts. It's just, that dress…"

"I know," he sympathized as he put his arm around my shoulder. He changed the subject slightly. "So what's the dress code for the Halloween dance, anyways?"

I grinned. I knew that he was thinking of us at the dance, and me in _the dress_. "I was thinking something along the lines of Muggle-chic."

He looked at me incredulously. "Muggle-chic?"

"Muggle-chic," I assured him. "It's this big joke Harry and I used to laugh at. You know how Muggle kids dress up for Halloween as like witches and stuff?"

He nodded, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "Uh-huh…"

"Well, to honor that little tradition, I thought to myself, why not dress up like Muggles! That ought to put things in perspective."

He laughed. "Yeah, that would be something. I'd love to see you dressed up in some Muggle tart outfit, like Britney Spears' school-girl outfit and pigtails!"

I gasped and thumped him on the arm, vaguely wondering why he knew so much about Muggle pop culture. "You dork! Oh, yeah? I'd love to see you look like Marilyn Manson for and hour or so!"

We teased each other all the way to The Three Broomsticks, guessing which Muggle entertainer would look more hideous on each other. We entered the pub and sat at the bar.

"Hello, loves," Madam Rosemerta greeted once we had shed our cloaks and settled in. "What'll it be?"

Draco looked at me for a moment. I nodded, signaling him to order for me.

"Two mugs of warm butterbeer, please."

"Aw, look at my boyfriend," I teased. "You're so cute when you're polite and when you use your manners."

He blew me a raspberry and Madam Rosemerta returned with our drinks. She stayed and talked to us for awhile until more customers started to stream in.

"Nice seeing you again, lass," she said to me. She eyed Draco for a moment. "You've got yourself a lucky one."

I grinned wide. "I sure do."

Draco gave me a quick peck on the lips and cheered my glass. "You think you're lucky, huh? I think I am, more so than you."

I laughed at his fake competitiveness when I yelped. Two cold, wet hands slapped the back of my neck and Draco jumped up, wand at ready. The whole bar erupted in laughter and Madam Rosemerta chuckled her way to our area at the bar.

"Boys, you have too much fun around here," she laughed at to the hands that were holding me. I was still rigid with shock and Draco's expression of worry immediately changed to a snarl of disgust. He muttered one single word, but I didn't hear it because my assailants kissed my cheeks at the same time.

"Hello, ducks," sprited a familiar voice to my left.

"Hello, darls," and identical voice piped in on my right. I now knew what it was that Draco had muttered. Weasleys. I turned around and jumped off my stool.

"Fred! George! You morons!"

* * *

**­Meanwhile, back at the castle…**

**_Harry's POV_**

"C'mon, Harry! I want to see if it's there yet!"

"If _what_ is _where_ yet, Gin?" I asked, puzzled, as Ginny dragged me through the hallways all the way back to the tower. The Fat Lady was sitting in her frame, eating Acid Bombers (you know, those candies that literally make your head explode) and giggling to herself every time smoke came out of her ears.

"Password, please," she managed to giggle out between explosions of her face.

"Nundu," Ginny retorted impatiently. The Fat Lady giggled and swung open. "Who's dumb enough to use that disgusting creature as our password?"

I didn't say a word as we climbed through the portrait hole. As I emerged on the other side into the common room, Ginny was already running to the windows, opening them and sticking her head out of each one. I sat on one of the couches near the fire and waited for her to come join me. After fifteen minutes of sticking half her body out the windows, she jumped on my lap and buried her head into my shoulder.

"What are you waiting for, anyways, Gin?" I asked her, shifting her around so that my hard on caused by her jumping and squirming on me wouldn't bother her.

"Ron got an owl this morning from Mum, saying that the twins were going to owl both of us later on today. I was just hoping that it would've come by now."

I laughed at her eagerness and gave her a small kiss. Well, it was meant to be small.

"Ahem."

•••

_Well the dark's so overrated _

_You're not saying how you feel_

_So you end up watching, chances fade_

_You're wondering' what's real_

•••

We both pulled away and looked to the source of the voice.

"You've got an owl," a girl (an incredibly attractive one, at that) in Ginny's year spat with disgust, holding out Ron's little tennis-ball-of-an-owl Pig. Ginny knelt over me and grabbed the poor thing from the girl's clutches.

**A/N: Seems like Harry has a bit of a roving eye, hmm?**

"Thank you, Luisa," Ginny replied with contempt. She waited until Luisa left to do anything else, including move from her position over my lap. When the other girl was up the stairs and out of sight, Ginny patted Pig on the head gently as he cooed in her palm.

"I hope you left that nasty little bitch a present in her bed, Pig," she told the owl, moving off my lap completely and sitting opposite me on the couch so that the miniature creature was between us. Pigwidgeon hopped off her hand and on to the couch, stepping closer and closer to me. He pecked me with his beak and cooed happily.

"I guess he remembers me," I said with a shrug as Ginny laughed at me.

"I guess he does." And to the owl: "C'mere, Pig. Let's see what you've got on you, you little ball of fluff."

Pigwidgeon hopped over to Ginny, stood stock still for a moment then whipped out his left leg like an admiral's salute. She rolled her eyes and retrieved her letter. Just as she was about to pick him up and bring him to the window, he did an about face, hopped to me and pulled his "salute with the leg" routine with his right leg. I laughed with Ginny as I retrieved my letter. We walked together to the nearest window beside the fireplace and she set Pig down on the sill.

"We taught him a whole bunch of funny tricks over the summer, before you came," she explained. "Watch this."

She saluted Pigwidgeon and he lifted his wing in an awkward yet similar salute. He cooed, turned around and jumped, an audible whistle (something like the falling bombs in cartoons) following him. He fell for a few feet then with a loud squawk, then he spread his wings and was off to the Owlery.

I burst out in laughter at the owl's military farce and headed back towards the couch before I fell over from the cheap entertainment.

"We should call him something like Admiral Pig," I gasped out, trying to breath and share my thoughts at the same time.

"Oh, the twins were having a world of fun teaching him this summer, but I didn't think they managed to teach him that bomb thing!"

After we had calmed down, she snuggled into my lap and we each paid attention to our respective letters.

"_Harry,_

"_Oi, mate! Shagging my sister now, are you? Well, better off you than that Jared fellow. He's a mighty prick that one._

"_Well, I've got some news! We're here in Hogsmeade; we bought the old Zonko's place and it is now officially the first actual Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Shop! Aren't you proud? Well, George and I decided to hold our Grand Opening on your first Hogsmeade visit of the year. If I'm right, that should be next week or the week after. Oh, well. I may be wrong, so it doesn't matter much._

"_We're a bit busy here, fixing up, developing some new bits to sell (we came up with a new sort of sick pill, thing's amazing I tell you! You get all the symptoms of a certain illness but you feel amazing and it only lasts like, an hour. Best way to get out of class. We're just having trouble with the you-feeling-great part. George puked all over my boots while we were testing last week. It was disgusting.). But I've been hearing some disturbing stuff about all of you and it's getting me worried. Ron's been owling us a lot, Flooing in from time to time. But all he's been doing is ranting and bitching about how horrible everyone is being to him. I was hoping you could talk to him until he mentioned something along the lines of you being a traitor. I mean, you're his best friend, and you can tolerate him better than all of us, so what's going on?_

"_From his murderous rants this is all I can gather: Hermione is dating Malfoy, you're dating Ginny, no one wants to date him, you're friends with Malfoy, he's sick and tired of being everyone's bitch, and you, Ginny, and the rest of Gryffindor are all traitors. I'm 99 sure that he's just being a melodramatic drama queen, but just bring me up to speed in your reply, would you? I mean, we all know that Ron's a bit of a hot head… _

"_Well, I better end this here or else General Pig's not going to be able to carry both these letters (there's one for Ginny that he's carrying, too). Be good, behave, and if you do anything to my sister, I'll kill you. Have a good one, mate. Be sure to write me back._

"_Fred."_

I grinned at Fred's forthrightness and I vowed to myself that I'd write him back within a week.

"So what did George have to tell you?" I asked her after I folded up my letter.

"Nothing much," she replied cryptically. "What about Fred?"

"About the same," I answered, getting sick of how secretive she was being with me lately. Since we started dating, she had become all mysterious, not the same Ginny that I fell for. So if she was going to play one game, I was determined to play it right back.

She stood up and stretched. "I'm going to go upstairs for a nap now, Harry."

I stood up as well. "Alright. If you say so. I think I'm going to get started on some of my homework."

* * *

**Back to Mia and Draco…­**

**_Narrative_**

Draco growled into his butterbeer as the Weasley twins sandwiched Hermione. They had left him out and he was ready to blast both of them if it wasn't for her.

_Stupid gits_, he thought nastily.

"Draco, let's go see the shop," Hermione prodded him with excitement. He wondered what she was talking about as he pulled on his cloak and took her hand. It was raining out so he pointed his wand straight up, muttering an umbrella charm over the small group.

"So, the rumors are true, then," one of the Weasley's commented. "If you're gonna be part of the family, we might as well be acting civil to you, right Fred?"

"Exactly." The other Weasley twin stuck his hand out to Draco, cutting off Hermione. "I'm Fred, and this is my brother George."

"You guys are idiots," Hermione laughed as she swatted away their hands from Draco. "Don't worry, they're just being dorks. Be civil, please."

He sighed. "Yeah, I remember you two. Had the prank thing over at Hogwarts. "

Hermione smiled and leaned closer to him as the four walked towards the twins' shop. They could see the bright orange and yellow signage beside Gladrags. Draco wondered why he hadn't noticed it before.

"Huh," Hermione commented. "I didn't notice the, um, _brightness_ as we were coming out of Gladrags."

"Oh, yeah," said George (the one on Draco's left) plaintively. "We saw the two of you walking out of Gladrags in your own little world. Very cutesy, I should say."

Draco laughed with the twins as Hermione blew a raspberry at George. Fred continued.

"Yeah, the two of you seemed to be obsessing, so after we finished putting up the front, we followed you to the Broomsticks."

"Nice," Draco commented. He looked down at Hermione, making sure she wasn't reminded about _the dress_. "We have stalkers."

"As long as they don't watch us at night, then I'm happy," she replied with a laugh.

As they approached the shop, Fred whipped out his wand and muttered a quick incantation. The twins stopped Hermione and Draco at the doors. Greg swished his wand through the air and a drum roll came out of nowhere. Hermione giggled with anticipation as Draco just grinned. _I could actually get used to this kind of thing_, he thought.

"Presenting…. WEASLEY'S WIZARD WHEEZES!"

As the twins expertly presented the store to them, the doors snapped open, revealing brightly coloured walls that startled Draco and Hermione; the yellows, reds, blues, and myriad of other bright and neon colours were an extreme contrast from the gray and rainy October day.

Hermione gasped and ran inside, like a child in a toy store.

"Looks like someone's going to have fun," Draco laughed, following her inside with the twins on each of his sides. He had begun to relax as his girlfriend kept getting happier and happier but, with the twins hulking over him (not in stature per say, but more in menace), he felt the air get cold.

"Look, mate," Fred said in a quiet voice to Draco. "Hermione is like family to us."

George continued. "Yeah. She's like a little sister to us. So if we find out that you've done anything stupid…"

"We don't care if you've pissed of Ron or whatever," Fred countered, leaving George's threat open-ended. "Because we can get over that. But if you're just using Hermione, you better hide your balls."

"Because if we get our hands on you, we'll break 'em."

"And we'll hurt you so badly, you'll wish your mother never forced you into this world. Got that?"

Draco swallowed slowly. _These people just don't get it, do they?_ he thought fearfully. _I really do love her. We may not have been actually together for a long time, but I've loved her forever_…

"Draco, Draco! Look!"

Spared from making a possibly stupid move by speaking, Draco turned his head to Hermione. In her hands she held little brown, shiny things. As she ran towards him, they fell, one by one, to the floor, bouncing slightly as they hit the ground.

"What in Merlin's name is that?" he asked, the disgust on his face obvious. He had heard of all the Weasley twins' antics; hell, they were famous for it. He knew better than to trust anything that may have some out of their notorious laboratories.

•••

_And I give it just a little time_

_I wonder if you realize_

_I've been waiting 'til I see it in your eyes_

_If I just breathe_

_Let it fill the space between,_

_I'll know everything is alright_

_Breathe_

_Every little piece of me_

_You'll see everything is alright_

_If I just breathe_

•••

Hermione held a popcorn kernel to Draco's mouth. She laughed as he stepped back, his reaction to his fear of what the butter caramel-covered popcorn kernel would do to him.

"What is that?" he asked again when she didn't answer. The twins laughed as his reaction. They thought it prudent to stock some Muggle sweets as it would boost their sales and bring in some extra cash.

"Just eat it," she urged, shoving the popcorn so close to his face that he almost inhaled it through his nose. As he resisted, she shrugged.

"Be like that," she laughed as the twins grabbed some of the popcorn out of her palm.

Draco watched as Fred and George ate the sweets; he stared at them, waiting for some gruesome reaction to occur. Nothing happened except their laughter resonated through the empty shop three times louder than before.

"Draco, it's just popcorn!" Hermione laughed, pulling him closer. "That Muggle treat Harry and I were telling you about earlier!"

He turned to the Weasley's for a confirmation. "So there's nothing wrong with it?"

"Nothing," they both replied. Fred continued: "All Muggle, no magic."

"Hey! That should be the slogan of all your Muggle items, Fred!" Hermione chuckled. Turning to Draco, she offered him popcorn again.

"I swear, if I turn into a duck or something…" he threatened as he picked up and ate a piece. She could see that he was slowly coming around to it. He grinned.

"See, now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"You suck," he said, grabbing a couple more from her hand and popping them into his mouth. He enjoyed the buttery-sweet taste that they brought, along with the slight, outer crunch on the outside then the soft inner fluffiness.

He stepped slowly into the shop, and Hermione followed him, prodding him on to check out all of the different prank items.

"Look, we can get some of this for the scavenger hunt!" she gushed, holding up a small plush teddy bear. When she picked it up, it stood on her palm, looking all cute and cuddly. Fred and George snickered behind her as she and Draco watched the figure. After a short moment, it's eyes turned red and it began to hover over her hand

"_Tarantallegra_!" the teddy bellowed in a suspiciously odd, deep voice.

Suddenly, Hermione's legs began to move. Faster and faster in a crazy, demented dance, her legs seemed to be moving of their own will. She screamed.

"Fred! George! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

The two twins were laughing; Draco whipped out his wand and tried to aim at her, not even remembering which spell to use to stop the spider-legs jinx. Fred (or perhaps it was George) laid a hand on his arm.

"Relax, mate," he said, still watching Hermione dance. "It should wear off in another twenty seconds or so. Just watch and laugh."

"Are you daft, man?" Draco seethed. "She looks worse than a marionette in the hands of a two year old!"

"She's used to our stupid antics, though," the other one stated, appearing on Draco's other side. He began to get the chills from being in between the two again. he readied himself for another scathing lecture, but it never came. Relaxing slightly, he watched Hermione dance through the wide aisle, slowing down after half a minute.

"Whoa," she sighed, tears of mirth streaming down her face. "That was something, eh, boys?"

They all laughed together as Hermione draped herself over Draco's arm.

"Come," Draco said to her after she could finally stand straight. He summoned two shopping baskets. "Let's shop."

* * *

**_Fred's POV_**

"So how long do you think this is gonna last?" I asked my brother quietly as the other two filled up their shopping baskets.

"I don't know," he replied in a similar tone of voice.

We followed the two of them through the store, watching them enjoy themselves with our joke stuffs.

"You have to admit," George began, "you have to admit that she's really grown up quite a bit this year."

Instead of replying, I just looked at her, trying to see what Malfoy and Ron saw. Then it dawned over me. She _was_ beautiful. More than just beautiful, actually. If one cared to look, I thought that she was actually more beautiful than Fleur. Fleur was beautiful in the glamorous, show-offish sense. This was an angelic type of beauty in Hermione.

"Fred, George! What do you think?"

Her and Malfoy stood side by side wearing t-shirts that had "I'm with him" and "I'm with her" with little arrows on them pointing to each other. I checked my tone of voice then answered.

"You look absolutely stunning, in a Muggle novelty sense," I joked, moving forward and charming the shirts so as they each changed to say 'He/She makes me sick'. "But I think this is a much better sentiment."

Both shirts spewed vibrantly green puke on the floor. They jumped back as George lazily pointed his wand at the mess, cleaning it up instantly. The shirts puked again.

"That's not funny, mate," Malfoy said with a laugh, pointing his wand at the shirts and reverting them back to the original text and state. "But it would be useful if any little imps decided to get these shirts as well."

"That's such a good example, Draco," Hermione scolded with sarcasm. "Hex the midgets when you don't approve. Tsk, tsk. Men."

"Watch it, 'Mione," George threatened playfully. "It's three against one in the gender department."

George and I started advancing on her and Malfoy grinned wolfishly.

"Yes, love. I do believe the two men are right," he growled, grabbing her waist and tickling her with abandon.

I held my tongue and stood back, holding George back, too. Malfoy stopped and 'Mione stood, once again out of breath.

"Whew! Now will you all just stop picking on me?"

"Impossible, Mia," Malfoy said, joining her in laughter.

_Mia?_ I thought, peering closely at the two of them. She certainly didn't seem to be under a spell of any sort. On the contrary, she seemed to be enjoying herself, like she did every time she came over to the Burrow for the summer…

* * *

**_Draco's POV_**

•••

_Should I whisper in the dark,_

_Hoping you'll hear me_

_Do you hear me_

_If I just breathe_

_Let it fill the space between,_

_I'll know everything is alright_

_Breathe_

_Every little piece of me_

_You'll see everything is alright_

_If I just breath_

•••

We decided to walk back to school from Hogsmede. As I held her waist with one arm and held as many bags as I could with the other, I grinned. We had spent the whole afternoon shopping with those Weasleys at every single shop in Hogsmede. Half the items we bought were for the dance and the scavenger hunt. The rest was for us. There were so many purchases that whatever I couldn't hold, we had shrunken down and pocketed.

"Homeward bound," Hermione said quietly as we walked the tree-lined path back to Hogwarts.

"Hmm," I agreed agreed, pulling her closer. I felt an inner warmth thaw my frozen ears when she said 'home' and I liked it; that feeling always reminded me of her.

"What are you thinking about, Draco?" she asked innocently, tilting her head up to me with a slight look of honest inquiry.

"Hmm… You. Me. Everything," I replied simply, nuzzling her neck

She quirked an eyebrow at my sappiness. "At a loss for words, are we?"

"No," I countered into the flesh of her neck. She melted slightly at the touch and I just kept on walking, forcing her along with me. "I just feel like getting back home, to our couch, lying down with you and sleeping forever with you in my arms."

"Home?" she questioned softly, her expression going from playful to serene.

"Yeah, home," I answered, matching her tone. I sighed. "I've spent more time there than anywhere else my whole life, and that's saying something. I mean, this is the only place where I feel like I've ever belonged…"

"I know what you mean… I mean…" she trailed off as she searched for the words. I stopped her just as she opened her mouth.

"It's just more familiar, somehow," I finished for her. She sighed and nodded.

There was a comfortable silence between us as we walked. Far off in the distance, I could just barely make out the topmost posts of the gates. She started singing quietly and I listened to her, loving how optimistic she made the tune sound. I breathed in her scent, loving her smell and her voice combined. It filled me with the same optimism and a sense of hope.

"How much did we spend today?" she asked, cutting herself off.

"Did you have to stop singing?" I teased, quirking an eyebrow as she tilted her head to look at me. "You could've at least done the song some justice by finishing it, my dear."

"Any other boy would've complimented me," she teased back, faking haughtiness. I nibbled at her ear slowly. She began to squirm.

"But, I regret to inform you," I growled into her ear, "that I am no boy. I am a man who faces his woman with sheer honor."

"Or sheer stupidity," she replied, breaking free of my hold and running ahead of me.

"Stupidity, eh?" I called after her. She stopped, turned, and looked me square in the face.

"Yes, Mister Manly Man," she bellowed sarcastically from 30 yards away. "You heard me!"

Trying to hold on to the multitude of baggage that I was carrying, I chased after her all the way to the gates. She had stopped at the left entrance post, clutching her side, breathing hard and laughing.

"Don't… Even… Think… Of hexing… Me!" she sputtered, out of breath. I jogged up to her easily.

"Out of breath, woman?" I teased, taking great efforts to show off my athletic prowess.

"Die… Bastard…" she replied, looking up at me darkly. "I… Hope you… Trip and fall… On the way… In."

"Now, now," I scolded playfully. I began to circle her. "That's not a very pleasant thing to say, is it, Miss Granger?"

"You great… Prat," she managed, slightly quicker than before.

"Oh, Mia, what was that song you were singing again?" I asked cockily, tapping my wand on my cheekbone. The lyrics and the tune floated in my head upon the third tap of my wand. "Ah, yes… _Breathe/Every little piece of me/You'll see everything is alright/If I just breathe…_"

She punched my chest lightly and stared me straight in the eye. Blinking once, the tune in my head disappeared just as I began to sing further. My eyes widened. _What did she just…_

"You know, you have a wonderful voice," she said, smirk on her face. "Now only if you would use it properly."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I could only mouth the words. Once I had realized that she had silenced me, I stalked menacingly towards her.

"Undo the spell," I mouthed. She shook her head. I mimed throwing the bags into the direction of the lake. She just laughed.

"Undo the spell yourself," she replied, hands on her hips and smirk growing wider.

I rolled my eyes, dropped the shopping unceremoniously on the dirt path, pulled my wand out, and once again laid it on my cheekbone. Mia walked towards me, shaking her head slightly.

"You're smart. Do it without the wand."

I gave her a menacing glare that clearly meant not to tease me.

"I'm not teasing, you great prat. Just concentrate really, really hard."

I gave her a stern look and she just prodded me on. Annoyed, I complied with her request and put my wand away. I closed and eyes and felt her staring at me intently.

"Now think of the spell. Imagine yourself saying it. The magic's inside of you, Draco. The wand is just a way of concentrating it…"

After thinking of the reversal spell for almost thirty seconds. I breathed hard.

"It's not working," I said, intending on mouthing the words. I wasn't even aware of my voice; I thought it was all in my head.

"Pardon me?" she asked innocently, grinning wide.

"I said that…" It dawned on me. I grinned in awe at her. "Did I just…?"

"Yes you did," she replied, hugging me. She looked up at me, the twinkle in her eyes dancing with happiness.

"And you didn't do it for me?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. I didn't mean to doubt her, but I could never stand to be fooled.

"No," she said, looking hurt for a moment. She hid it with much grace, but I still caught that split second of darkness. "But you did it!"

"So that's what it's like…" I mused, holding her and kissing her with great abandon. I felt guilty for doubting her so I tried my hardest to kiss it away.

_Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep!_

I pulled away, bewildered by the annoying electronic sound.

"What in bloody blue blazes is that?" I asked her, certain that the sound wasn't coming from anywhere on my person.

She pulled her arms away from my shoulders and pushed up her left sleeve. She sighed. "C'mon. It's ten to six."

"That was your _watch_?" I asked incredulously. "I never figured that a simple mechanism could be so damned annoying!"

We both bent down to pick up the bags that I had dropped. I spied my large Gladrags bag and made a grab for it. She noticed my sudden movement.

"What was that?" she asked absent-mindedly as she reached for the last of the bags, incidentally containing bunch of Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Just as she grabbed the bag handles, a miniature toy gnome (even smaller than the real thing) pulled itself out of the top and started swearing a blue streak in its squeaky little voice. She jumped back in surprise.

"Vulgar little thing," I muttered, kicking it back into the bag. She forgot about her question and I was saved from lying to her. _Whew_.

It began to rain again, so we ran back to the castle, laughing at ourselves as we struggled to sprint with humongous bags, dropping things ever so often and getting absolutely soaked as we ran back to pick them up.

"_Whew_!" Mia gasped loudly as we finally made it through the entrance doors freezing and sopping wet.

I laughed and shook my head wildly, trying to rid my head of its excess moisture.

"Remind me to check the weather before we go ahead with one of you schemes," she giggled, shielding herself from my water shower.

"Gladly," I replied, offering her the crook of my arm. She took it in her own and we laughed all the to the doors of the Great Hall, where people followed us in for supper.

•••

_I've been driving for an hour_

_Just talking to the rain…_

•••


End file.
